Cognitive and Affective Factors Which Influence Downtown Behaviors

Abstract

Data collected on perceptions of downtown Atlanta are used to explore the impact of cognitive and affective assessments of place on the frequency with which individuals go downtown for shopping, business or professional services, and for entertainment activities. Findings include: (1) social background variables generally exert only weak effects on cognitive and affective responses to downtown Atlanta; (2) affective identification with downtown exerts a positive, significant, and powerful effect on the frequency of using downtown for shopping and business activities; (3) non-Whites, city residents, and singles are more likely to go downtown for entertainment activities than Whites, suburbanites, and married respondents; and (4) images of downtown, affective identification, and positive assessments of downtown municipal services encourage participation in downtown entertainment activities. The analysis strongly suggests that behaviors are influenced by the meanings and evaluations people create for an area.