Does place attachment affect social well-being?

Although literature yields some insights on the connection between place and well-being, to date the direct influence of place attachment on the dimensions that characterize social well-being has not been explicitly investigated. The present study, conducted on 443 first-year undergraduates, had one main purposes: exploring the influence of place attachment measured in relation to two different spatial ranges (neighborhood and city) - on the five components of social well-being. Results showed that place attachment globally affects social well-being, but noteworthy distinctions have to be specified both as to the spatial range investigated and the different dimensions of social well-being. Theoretical implications are discussed. (C) 2010 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.