The Impact of Spatial Quality Satisfaction on Place Attachment in Student Dormitories: A Structural Equation Modeling Approach

This study develops and tests factor-based and holistic theoretical models to explain the relationships between Spatial Quality Satisfaction (SQS), Overall Dormitory Satisfaction (ODS), and Place Attachment (PA) in student dormitories. Data collected from 450 students residing in five state-run dormitories in Kırklareli, Turkey, via three 5-point Likert-type scales (validated by expert review and a pilot study), were analyzed using structural equation modeling, following exploratory factor analysis, confirmatory factor analysis, and Cronbach’s alpha validations. Findings from the factor-based Model 1 indicate that eight of the ten SQS factors do not significantly influence ODS and PA when considered individually, whereas “Emotional and Psychological Atmosphere” and “Flexibility of Use” emerge as key determinants. Additionally, this model reveals that ODS has a strong and positive effect on PA. Results from the holistic Model 2 demonstrate that SQS, when treated as an integrated construct, has a robust and significant effect on both ODS and PA, with ODS playing a significant mediating role in the relationship between SQS and PA. Overall, the findings suggest that students perceive spatial quality as a whole. Therefore, improving student dormitories through a holistic SQS approach is more effective in enhancing PA and ODS than interventions focused on individual spatial dimensions.