The town in my mind: How place attachment and identification are linked to place perception

The relationship between individuals and environment implies an affective and a cognitive dimension, i.e. place attachment and place identification. While predictors of these two constructs have been extensively studied, their relationship with place perception has received less attention. The research here presented aimed to explore the subjective perceptions of the locality where one lives. Such perceptions were considered in relation to the degree of place attachment and social identification with inhabitants, and taking into account: sex, place of birth, length of residence, and location of meaningful relationships. 403 Italian undergraduates participated in the research. Results showed that semantic contents related to place perception are described in accordance to different levels of attachment and identification. Moreover, those who have experienced a relocation show a more stereotypical perception of the town than individuals who are studying in the place where they were born.