Shades of Avidity: Social Class as a Determinant of Angler Behavior, Attitudes, and Agency Trust

We used exploratory factor analysis to examine behavioral patterns indicative of angler avidity.  Data were taken from 2009 surveys of Ohio Steelhead anglers and Ohio fishing license holders.  A two-factor solution explained approximately 51% of the variance across 9 behaviors.  The first factor, which we called “Expenditures,” was comprised of monetary expenditures (e.g., equipment costs, money spent on travel, etc.), along with number of states anglers fished and number of club memberships; the second factor, “Avidity” was comprised of number of species targeted, number of days fished, and fishing license purchasing behavior.  We created composite measures of these variables by calculating z scores for each item and then averaging across all standardized items.  Correlational analyses revealed that Avidity was negatively associated with respondents’ education and household income, and positively associated with residential stability; in contrast, Expenditures was positively associated with education, income and age.  Both Expenditures and Avidity were strongly (r > 0.35) and positively associated with perceived importance of fishing, but distinct differences emerged in anglers’ equipment preferences, attitudes toward policy changes, and their trust in the Ohio Division of Wildlife.  These data suggest that social class, which is largely neglected in the literature, may be an important determinant of anglers’ fishing behaviors and policy-relevant attitudes.