Psychology of tourism participation in amazonian communities: place identity, motivation, and community competencies in Pablo Sexto (Ecuador)
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.61347/psa.v4i2.172Keywords:
Community tourism, Ecuadorian Amazon, educational psychology, intrinsic motivation, place identity, tourism competenciesAbstract
This article aims to analyze the psychological aspects of tourism participation in Pablo Sexto, a canton in the province of Morona Santiago, Ecuador, based on the core constructs of educational psychology: motivation, place identity, attitude, and competence. Two original psychological assessment instruments, using a five-point Likert scale, were applied to 117 local community members and 83 tourism university students, evaluating four dimensions in each group. The analysis indicated that the community exhibits a psychological competence profile at a low–medium level (overall M = 3.00), with knowledge (M = 2.77) and communication (M = 2.81) as the critical areas for intervention. In contrast, the students showed a high motivational orientation (overall M = 3.59), particularly in intrinsic tourism motivation (M = 3.81; α = 0.972). The findings are interpreted in light of Self-Determination Theory, the Theory of Planned Behavior, and the construct of place identity. It is concluded that the motivational gap between the community and the students represents an opportunity for designing psychoeducational interventions integrated with academia–community engagement programs.
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Copyright (c) 2026 Alexandra Valeria Villagómez Cabezas, Diego Mauricio Calvopiña Andrade, Héctor Germán Pacheco Sanunga, Yolanda Lorena Paredes Andrade
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