Affect and cognition in the context of home: The quest for intangibles

The three papers in this special issue represent an important advance in the effort to understand people's attachment to place. Economic factors do not provide an adequate explanation; it is necessary to seek less tangible influences. There are grounds for looking to the physical setting, and especially the natural environment available to residents. Access to other resources may also be important. And group affiliation can impact both cognitive and affective aspects of the attachment process. In terms of future research to better understand these intangibles, it may help to focus on the sense of place, the factors that make an environment psychologically comfortable. Three variables are proposed as researchable facets of the sense of place: (1) legibility, (2) the perception of and preference for the visual environment, and (3) the compatibility of the setting with human purposes.Requests for reprints should be mailed to Dr. Stephen Kaplan, Department of Psychology, Psychological Laboratories, Mason Hall, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109