Personality traits and environmental identity in participating in trekking: The flow theory

The concept of personality, which helps predict how an individual may behave in any event or situation encountered, differs from person to person (Erikson, 1984; Parks-Leduc et al., 2015). The five-factor personality models, which have emerged from studies that have been going on for more than 50 years, along with the study of terms allowing individuals to recognize themselves and the people around them more clearly, are the name of the system and personality dimensions defined by researchers McCrae and Costa (1995). The five-factor personality is considered a model that allows theorists to explain the differences and similarities between individuals as well as being a personality theory that explains emotion, action, and cognitive consistency (McCrae, 2010). While many factors shape a person’s identity, the element of identity is considered to be a product of the physical environment along with other factors (LappegardHauge, 2007). Considering that people act considering their environmental identity, the element of environmental identity has been expressed as “meaning associated with the environment.”

Based on this, environmental identities are stated to have had a direct and indirect effect on several environmental behaviours (Edwards, 2018; Stets & Biga, 2003). The flow theory means that an individual focuses their full attention on the action they are performing, and that individual can isolate himself or herself from all the elements other than the performed action at that moment as other elements lose their importance (Csikszentmihalyi, 2020). As there is no effort required during this process, a feeling of control is at the forefront. As an experience during the flow process, while the action is taking place, there is a strong balance between skill and difficulty, a feeling of control, feedback, loss of self-consciousness, and focusing, and thus a state of consciousness takes place towards the feeling of pleasure (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1992).

During the flow process, a person gives all their attention to the work they are engaged in. Moreover, as the experiences performed are generally quite fun, exciting, or satisfying, individuals will participate in this action to experience the same emotions again and enter into the flow experience, even if they sometimes bear a huge cost or sometimes no cost (Nakamura & Csikzentmihalyi, 2005). Flow theory suggests that an individual devotes himself or herself completely to an activity (Csikszentmihalyi, 2020). In addition, according to Csikszentmihalyi (1990), the engagement state of an individual to a flow may differ according to their personality characteristics. In this context, the research model, which shows that the five-factor personality traits affect the flow experience through environmental identity, is built on flow theory. The construction of the research model within the scope of flow theory is a clear indication that the model has a scientific basis.

Recent research has broadened our understanding of the motivations behind participation in adventure and nature-based leisure activities, revealing complex dynamics between personality traits, flow experiences, and environmental behaviours. Jackson et al. (2023) explored the motives for adventure recreation, highlighting that traditional notions of thrill-seeking do not capture the full spectrum of participant motivations. Their study, involving 199 participants engaged in activities such as rock climbing and downhill mountain biking, revealed that mastery, perceived connection to the activity, and trust in personal skills were more significant motivators than risk-seeking. The findings emphasized the importance of flow experiences, assessed through established scales, indicating that these states significantly enhance engagement and satisfaction in adventure settings.

Similarly, Akçakese et al. (2024) investigated the interplay between nature-relatedness, flow experiences, and environmental behaviours among individuals participating in nature-based activities like hiking and cycling. Their findings demonstrated that a higher degree of nature-relatedness significantly influenced flow experiences, which in turn fostered positive environmental behaviours and heightened environmental sensitivity. This suggests that fostering a connection to nature can enhance the likelihood of entering flow states, further encouraging sustainable environmental practices.

Additionally, Cheng et al. (2024) examined the role of the recreational safety climate (RSC) in shaping flow experiences within the context of serious leisure activities. Their study of scuba divers revealed that RSC positively moderated the relationship between serious leisure involvement and flow experiences. This indicates that enhancing safety perceptions in recreational settings can strengthen participant engagement and satisfaction, contributing to a more profound and enjoyable experience in outdoor activities.

These studies collectively underline the relevance of flow theory in understanding not only the psychological engagement of participants in outdoor recreation but also the implications for environmental behaviour and safety in recreational contexts. By recognizing the diverse motives that drive participation and the significant role of flow experiences, practitioners can create more effective programs that enhance participant satisfaction and foster sustainable behaviours in natural settings.

While individual identity characteristics create environmental effects, they also increase the level of environmental anxiety significantly in societies with a collective structure. This also increases the perception of environmental identity in society (Lou & Li, 2021). Environmental behaviours counted within the scope of personality traits can cause the formation of some environmental attitudes and identities in individuals (Bravo & Farjam, 2022). The concept of environmental identity varies according to a person’s individual characteristics and social components (Blanchard & Paquet, 2023). The environmental identity phenomenon is directly proportional to the duration of time spent in nature and is influenced by personal identity characteristics (Keith et al., 2022). Individuals with altruistic values in terms of identity characteristics and personal norms tend to have a stronger environmental identity (Ajibade & Boateng, 2021). In addition to the personality traits of an individual, environmental self-identities of individuals are also formed by love of nature, environmental awareness, and nature-related self-identity (Chen & Hsieh, 2023). In light of all this information, personality traits could be claimed to have positively affected the phenomenon of environmental identity. For this purpose, the following hypotheses have been developed to be tested in the study.

Csikszentmihalyi (2020) found that the participants continued their work with intense internal motivation despite obstacles such as fatigue, restlessness, or hunger. Following Csikszentmihalyi’s studies, the flow experience process was tested on different genders, ages, activities, and culture groups, and the research results were found to overlap with each other (Asakawa, 2004). Five-factor personality traits have significant effects on the flow experience and exhibit a structure that affects the organizational commitment and behaviour of individuals (Kim et al., 2019). While the flow experience levels of individuals participating in outdoor recreational activities increase, positive changes also occur in their behaviours (Ding & Hung, 2021).

The discovery of a bidirectional connection between the environment and the identities of people and studying these relationships have revealed a new concept in the literature. This new concept, expressed as “environmental identity,” aims to reveal the human-nature relationship while examining responsible behaviours towards nature. A person’s perceived relationship with the environment could be in two forms, such as “I am separate from the environment” or “I am a part of the environment” (Blatt, 2013; Clayton & Opotow, 2003). It could be claimed that the feelings, emotions, and behaviours experienced by individuals may change according to individuals’ environmental identity ownership (Carfora et al., 2017). People’s interactions with the environment through environment and positive psychology facilitate flow experiences (Xie et al., 2022). The flow experience in one’s preferred environment is reflected in individuals positively and significantly (Bonaiuto et al., 2016). The flow process takes place with voluntary participation, and it can be experienced when individuals feel harmony with their skills and the environment matches the presented challenges (Pomfret, 2006). For this purpose, the following hypothesis has been developed to be tested in the study.

The five-factor personality traits model is a very remarkable theory, as it can base personality on five subfactors and provide a general definition for it. Agreeableness, conscientiousness, and openness are the traits that are most often linked to the issue of environmental participation, as suggested by Milfont and Sibley (2012). These findings shed light on how stable regularities in general behavioural patterns are related to more specific aspects of attitudes and protective behaviour, both in individuals and societies. Five factors positively affect the flow experience level of the agreeableness subdimension in personality traits (Tian & Ou, 2023). Xiang et al. (2023) examined glamping participants within the framework of five-factor personality traits and concluded that individuals are in the flow experience and in an emotional cycle, and they also found that individuals are involved in interaction depending on some environmental factors. In this direction, the following hypotheses have been developed to be tested in the study. Figure 1 presents the representation of the theoretical construct of the research model, developed in alignment with the existing literature.

Figure 1:

Representation of the Theoretical Construct of the Research on the Model (Şenel, 2023)

Eskişehir, which is a very rich city in terms of nature-based activities, has become a highly preferred destination for individuals because of its nature and history. Eskişehir and its surroundings are very convenient for trekking and mountain walks due to its location and historical importance. Therefore, the research universe consists of individuals residing in Eskişehir Province, who participate in trekking activities organized by mountaineering, trekking and nature clubs at least twice a year. While this criterion may limit the diversity of trekking experiences, it was chosen to focus on individuals who are more engaged with trekking as a recreational activity. This engagement is important for understanding the flow experience in trekking, as more frequent participants are likely to have developed a deeper connection to the activity, thus providing richer insights into the effects of personality traits and environmental identity on their experiences. Based on this, the existing extreme sports clubs in Eskişehir and the individuals who participated in the trekking events were reached by the researcher. During the administration stage of the survey, 500 questionnaires were distributed, and 440 of them were returned. After controlling for the 440 returned surveys, 56 survey forms were found to have missing data, and so they were excluded from the analysis. Therefore, research analyses were carried out on the remaining 384 questionnaires. After collecting the questionnaires, each questionnaire form was checked to discover whether they were filled out completely, whether some of them had some incorrect encodings, and whether the number of acceptable questionnaires was sufficient when the sample volume was considered.

Smart PLS 4.0 (Partial Least Square Structural Equation Modeling, PLS-SEM) was used to test the hypotheses created in this research. The PLS-SEM method has been frequently used in tourism research (Jiang & Tu 2022; Rather et al., 2021). For this reason, PLS-SEM was used in the analysis of the data. To examine how significant factor loads and path coefficients of research data are, the “bootstrapping” technique was used with 5000 samples. In the research, the literature on five-factor personality traits, the concept of environmental identity, and flow theory were first examined, and the collection of primary data was started within the framework of the theoretical information obtained. In the research, the data were collected using the survey technique. The Continuous Optimal Emotional State-2 Scale was used to determine the optimal performance emotional states of individuals, the Five-factor Personality Traits Scale was used to determine participants’ personality traits, and the Environmental Identity Scale was used to determine the relationship levels of participants with the environment. The second part of the survey includes statements about the gender, marital status, educational level, age, profession, and income status of the participants, how many years they have been participating in trekking activities, and how many times they have participated in the trekking activity in a month.

PLS-SEM was used to test the hypotheses. PLS-SEM is a convenient method to analyze the collected data collected with the use of ordinal scales such as the Likert-type scale, and it is also effective and efficient in explaining and predicting (Hair et al., 2017). Therefore, PLS-SEM is a convenient analysis tool for this research.

The data regarding the piloting of the survey were collected from 100 trekking participants. First, the measurement model was tested to make sure that internal consistency, convergent validity, distinctive validity, and reliability were achieved (Hair et al., 2017). All of the inversely encoded expressions in the research were transformed with varimax in the context of scales. First, 13 expressions of the environmental identity factor, whose factor loads remained below 0.50, and 25 expressions of the flow experience scale remaining below 0.50 were removed from the scale. As a result, an environmental identity scale under a single dimension consisting of 11 expressions with factor loads above 0.50 was obtained, as well as a flow scale under a single dimension consisting of 11 expressions with factor loads above 0.50.

PLS-SEM was used in the analysis of the research data (Ringle et al., 2022). Considering that the evidence regarding the relationships examined in this study is not sufficient, the research could be claimed to have exploratory characteristics. Therefore, PLS-SEM is convenient for this study.

The demographic characteristics of the study’s sample, comprising 384 participants, are detailed in Table 1. These findings provide a comprehensive overview of the participants’ gender, marital status, age, education level, income, experience, frequency of participation, and occupation.

The measurement model results are presented in Table 2. All the expressions encoded inversely in the research were transformed with varimax in the context of scales. The majority of external factor loads were found to be above 0.70. The factor loads between 0.60 and 0.70 were examined. The relevant factor loads were kept in the data set as they did not decrease Cronbach alpha, composite reliability (BD), and the described average variance/average variance extracted (AOV) values below acceptable limits (Hair et al., 2017). In addition, three expressions of environmental identity (CC9, CC10, and CC11) were excluded from the analysis, as their factor loads remained below 0.50. All Cronbach alpha values of the variables were found to be above 0.70, which confirms the internal consistency of the structures. The composite reliability values were found to be above 0.80, which indicates the reliability of the structure. AOV values were found to be above 0.50, which means that convergent validity was achieved (Hair et al., 2017).

The Heterotrait-Monotrait (HTMT) values and the Fornell–Larcker criterion were used in the analysis of the validity of the decomposition. The HTMT values were found to be below 0.90, which reveals that the validity of the decomposition has been fulfilled (Henseler et al., 2015). Second, the square root of the AOV values was found to be higher than the interstructural correlation. For this reason, the validity of decomposition has been fulfilled once again (Fornell & Larcker, 1981). The results regarding the validity of the decomposition are presented in Table 3.

The results regarding the structural model are presented in Table 4. First, the variance inflation factor (VIF) values were examined. The values were found not to have exceeded 5. For this reason, it was decided that there is no multiple linear regression problem (Hair et al., 2017). Second, the R² values were examined. The R² values were found to be 0.651 and 0.578 for environmental identity and flow, respectively. The values of 0.75, 0.50, and 0.25 are categorized as significant, moderate, and weak, respectively as suggested by Hair et al. (2011). Third, the Q2 values were examined. The Q2 values were found to be 0.339 and 0.333 for environmental identity and flow, respectively. The Q2 values of 0.00, 0.25, and 0.50 indicate that the tested model has a weak, moderate, and significant predictive relationship, respectively (Hair et al., 2019). Finally, the ƒ² statistic was examined. The values of 0.02, 0.15, and 0.35 ƒ2 are accepted as weak, moderate, and significant, respectively (Cohen, 1988). When Table 4 is examined, the ƒ² statistic is seen to have appropriate values.

According to the results, extraversion positively and significantly affects environmental identity (β = 0.155; p < 0.05). Agreeableness positively and significantly affects environmental identity (β = 0.470; p < 0.001). Openness positively and significantly affects environmental identity (β = 0.240; p < 0.001). Therefore, hypotheses H1a, H1b and H2c re supported. Conscientiousness was found not to have a significant effect on environmental identity (β = 0.005; p = 0.924). Therefore, H1d was rejected. Neuroticism has a negative and significant effect on environmental identity (β = −0.089; p < 0.05). Therefore, H1e was supported. Extraversion (β = −0.050; p = 0.449) and agreeableness (β = − −0.004; p = 0.952) were found not to have had a significant effect on flow. Therefore, H2a and H2b were rejected. Openness has a positive and significant effect on flow (β = 0.450; p < 0.001). Conscientiousness does not have a significant effect on flow (β = −0.073; p = 0.193). Neuroticism has a negative and significant effect on flow (β = 0.207; p < 0.001). Therefore, H2a, H2b, and H2d were rejected, while H2c and H2e were supported. Finally, environmental identity has a positive and significant effect on the flow (β = 0.351; p < 0.001).

The mediation analysis was conducted considering the guidelines suggested by Zhao et al. (2010). Table 5 shows that the indirect effect of extraversion on flow through environmental identity is positive and significant (β = 0.054; p < 0.05). The indirect effect of agreeableness on flow through environmental identity is positive and significant (β = 0.165; p < 0.001). The indirect effect of openness on flow through environmental identity is positive and significant (β = 0.084; p < 0.001). As seen in Table 5, the upper and lower confidence intervals of these relationships are different from zero. Therefore, H4a, H4b, and H4c are supported. The indirect effect of conscientiousness on flow through environmental identity is insignificant (β = 0.002; p = 0.925). The indirect effect of neuroticism on flow through environmental identity is insignificant (β = −0.031; p=0.065). However, the lower and upper confidence intervals of the relevant variables contain zero. Therefore, hypotheses H4d and H4e were rejected.

In the evaluation of the mediation type, the decision tree that Zhao et al. (2010) suggested was followed. Considering that extraversion (β = −0.050; p = 0.449) and agreeableness (β = −0.004; p = 0.952) were found not to have had a direct significant effect on flow, the H4a and H4b test results are classified only as indirect mediation/full mediation. On the other hand, considering that openness has a positive and significant direct effect on flow (β = 0.450; p < 0.001), H4c test results are classified as complementary mediation / partial mediation.

The research was theoretically constructed within the scope of the flow theory of Csikszentmihalyi (1990). The theory refers to the fact that a person performs any work or behaviour with an internal motivation, not for external rewards (Csikszentmihalyi, 2020). Based on this, the experiences of the individuals participating in the trekking event have been explained within the framework of flow theory. While the feelings that individuals experience in the activities they participate in will have an impact on optimal performance emotional states, this differs with the influence of some variables. One of the first antecedents of this difference is that, as stated by Csikszentmihalyi (2020), the motivation that occurs may be based on a personality trait (Csikszentmihalyi & Csikszentmihalyi, 1992; Csikszentmihalyi & Nakamura, 1989). Tian and Ou (2023) conducted a study and concluded that the agreeableness subdimension included in the five-factor personality traits positively affects the flow experience level. Xiang et al. (2023) concluded that individuals are in the flow experience and emotional cycle within the framework of five-factor personality traits; these individuals also experience interaction depending on environmental factors.

This research provides a framework for trekking enterprises to help them create, organize, and design plans that will allow individuals to experience flow. Although trekking activities are known as activities that are carried out during the day and are usually organized in warm weather, there are also trekking organizations that carry them out at night or in cold weather in winter. This indicates that participation in trekking activities can be possible throughout the year, during all four seasons. Given that each of the participants of trekking activities has different personality traits, and each of them has varying flow experiences depending on their personality traits, it is necessary to make arrangements for trekking activities with varying difficulty levels. When the fact that extraversion and agreeableness personality traits have difficulty entering the flow experience process is considered, the personality traits of participants could be determined, and they could be put into relevant groups based on their personality traits before the trekking activity. Then, the appropriate track levels for these groups could be created, and they could be guided according to these groupings.

Considering that there are differences in environmental identity phenomena according to the personality traits of individuals, participation in trekking activities in an environment where each personality trait could experience flow will be much more beneficial. While this reinforces the phenomenon of environmental identity, it will also activate many environmental feelings in individuals who do not have an environmental identity. In the process of participation in trekking activities, the phenomenon of environmental identity is among the factors affecting the level of flow experience. Therefore, training could be given to increase individuals’ environmental recognition and the amount of time that they spend in nature. Moreover, these briefings can be given by volunteer environmental trainers during trekking activities. Together with the results of this research, it is considered that individuals will have information about the antecedents of the flow experience, as well as guide practitioners in a broad and detailed way on how they can benefit from trekking activities within the scope of special-interest tourism.

This study has some limitations. The first is that it was conducted only with individuals who participated in trekking groups in Eskişehir Province. Future research can be carried out on individuals who participate in trekking groups in other provinces. The model created with this research can be adapted to other recreational activities. Apart from trekking activity, which constitutes the main framework of this study, the flow experience process can be examined in other special-interest tourism activities. In addition, the relationship between other personality theories and the flow experience can be examined instead of using the five-factor personality traits, which was the focus of this study. This study measured the emotional states of the individuals’ continuous optimal performance in the flow experience. Future research can measure the optimal performance emotional state of the individuals performing the trekking activity immediately after the event and compare these two levels of emotional states.