過去有不少探討地方依附與遊憩衝擊兩者關係之研究，但至今仍無法確定其連結之機制：部份學者認為使用經驗越高的使用者環境敏感度越高，並會提升地方依附程度，也有學者提到地方依附和環境敏感度都可能影響感受到的衝擊程度。文獻也指出使用經驗會提昇人們對環境的敏感度，而敏感度則會正向影響環境衝擊感受。因此，本研究延續White、 Virden與van Riper (2008)的研究，探討地方依附、使用經驗、及環境敏感度 對環境衝擊的影響。
本研究以實驗法透過讓受測者觀看不同程度垃圾量之模擬照片來測試對環境的敏感度與地方依附感，並比較照片內環境破壞前、後之視覺景觀品質。研究結果顯示使用經驗越高，地方依附與環境敏感度越高；而對地點依附程度越高者，環境衝擊程度則越高。但環境敏感度對於環境衝擊程度則無顯著的影響。本結果除了重新驗證過去學者提出之概念，並有助於了解地方依附與環境衝擊之間的關係，提供未來環境的規劃與管理之具體方向。

Previous studies have focused on the relationship between recreational impacts and place attachment. However, there is still no consensus of their causal relationship. Previous studies further indicated that experience- use history (EUH) has a positive effect on place attachment. Individuals who have longer EUH will be more sensitive to changes in the environment. Therefore, based on the previous literature, the current study proposes that EUH will positively influence place attachment and environment sensitivity. This is positively related to environmental impact.
A photo-based experiment was conducted for the purposes of this study.Respondents’ place attachment, EUH, environment sensitivity, and environmental impact were measured and compared. Pictures with various amounts of litter were used to determine respondents’ sensitivity to the environment. The results indicated that EUH positively affects place attachment and environmental sensitivity, and place attachment is positively related to environmental impact. However, no significant relationship was found between sensitivity and environmental impact. The current results confirmed the relationships proposed in previous literature, which willhelp to understand the relationship between emotional place attachment and environmental impact.