Stability-Seeking and Novelty-Seeking Across the Lifespan: An Outdoor Recreation Involvement Perspective

The purpose of this study was to identify the patterns of stability-seeking and novelty-seeking in outdoor recreation experiences across the lifespan. Results showed that the percentage of respondents identified as stability-seekers was higher than that of novelty-seekers in all age groups and that the gap between novelty-seeking and stability-seeking widened as age increases. Results also supported the concept that novelty-and stability-seeking fluctuate as development proceeds during the life cycle. However, in contrast to Iso-Ahola's theoretical speculation, this study found that novelty-seeking is independent from age, whereas stability-seeking increases as age increases.