Skip to Main Content
 

Global Search Box

 
 
 
 

Files

File List


MayfieldPamelaKay2000 mb.pdf (4.35 MB)

ETD Abstract Container

Abstract Header

Home-Based Urban Gardening: Its Impacts on Locus of Control and Community Satisfaction

Mayfield, Pamela Kay
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392904803

Abstract Details

2000, Master of Science, Ohio State University, Environment and Natural Resources.
Research documenting the positive psychological benefits of horticultural activity has spawned considerable interest in its application as a development tool for depressed inner-city communities. Qualitative evaluations of community gardens in low-income urban neighborhoods indicate that participation in this particular type of horticultural activity engenders a more positive self-image and higher evaluations of the residential community. However, investigations of the effects of other forms of urban gardening have been limited. This study explored the viability of another form of horticultural activity for use as an individual and community development tool: home-based urban gardening. The project quantitatively examined two specific attitudinal variables: locus of control and community satisfaction. Locus of control was measured using Rotter's Internal-External Locus of Control Scale (I-E Scale); community satisfaction was assessed using a Likert-type scale developed specifically for this project. To determine home-based gardening's impact on each of these variables, each participant (n=11) in the case study completed the scales both before the treatment (T1) and after (T2). The treatment, gardening, commenced with the construction of a garden in each participant's yard. The widely used I-E scale is a 23-item forced-choice questionnaire that is scored by summing the number of external items chosen. Higher scores indicate a more externalized locus of control, while lower scores indicate a more internal locus of control. Possible scores range from 0-23; the researcher hypothesized the mean scores would decrease from T1 to T2. The Community Satisfaction scale consisted of 23 anchored questions with four possible response options scored from 1-4: Strongly Disagree, Disagree, Agree, and Strongly Disagree. The scale probed participants' attitudes towards three specific aspects of their neighborhood that the literature deemed important contributors to community satisfaction: safety, aesthetics, and neighbors. Possible scores on the summed scale ranged from 23-92; higher scores indicate higher satisfaction with the community. Non-scale questions investigating the frequency of neighbor interactions, length of residency in the neighborhood, and various demographic variables provided additional descriptive and correlational data regarding the study population. The pre-treatment scores on the locus of control scale ranged from five to sixteen with a group mean of 8.09. Post-treatment scores ranged from four to fourteen with a group mean of 8.00. Paired sample correlations comparing the pre-treatment and post-treatment scale scores indicated no statistical significance with a p of .013; paired t-tests corroborated the lack of significance with a two-tailed p of .907. Regression analysis suggested no significance between demographic data and changes in locus of control scores. The pre-treatment scores on the Community Satisfaction scale ranged from 56 to 74 with a mean of 66.36. The post-treatment scores ranged from 59 to 78 with a mean of 68.27. Paired sample correlations of the score sets returned a statistically significant r of .001 while paired t-tests offered a two-tailed significance of .086. Furthermore, regression analyses offer a model of the demographic variables that could influence the changes in the community satisfaction scores. These results are suggestive of home-based urban gardening's promise as an individual and community development tool. Validation of this claim requires further research, including studying a larger population over a longer period of time. Additionally, further reliability testing of the community satisfaction instrument is recommended.
Joe E. Heimlich (Advisor)
Robert E. Roth (Committee Member)
Richard Funt (Committee Member)
159 p.
Natural Resource Management

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Mayfield, P. K. (2000). Home-Based Urban Gardening: Its Impacts on Locus of Control and Community Satisfaction [Master's thesis, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392904803

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Mayfield, Pamela. Home-Based Urban Gardening: Its Impacts on Locus of Control and Community Satisfaction. 2000. Ohio State University, Master's thesis. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392904803.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Mayfield, Pamela. "Home-Based Urban Gardening: Its Impacts on Locus of Control and Community Satisfaction." Master's thesis, Ohio State University, 2000. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1392904803

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1392904803
219
© 2000, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.