The impact of perceived residential value on heritage responsibility behavior in traditional villages and their implications

Traditional village is a unique type of living heritage, functioning as both precious historical and cultural heritage and practical human settlements for current residents. Residents constitute the core subject of traditional villages, and exploring their heritage responsibility behavior from the lens of their perceived value of human settlements is deemed a key prerequisite for balancing the dual attributes of traditional village-community and heritage-and facilitating their long-term sustainable development. Based on Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory, this research establishes a multi-dimensional structural framework for the perceived value of human settlements among residents in traditional villages. Furthermore, grounded in the ABC attitude model, it formulates research hypotheses and develops a theoretical model following the influence pathway of "perceived value of human settlements-place attachmen-heritage responsibility behavior". To validate the theoretical model, this study selects 14 traditional villages located in southern Hunan as research cases, and employs structural equation modeling (SEM) to empirically examine the impact of perceived value of human settlements on heritage responsibility behavior, as well as the mediating role of place attachment in this pathway, based on the data collected from 306 valid questionnaires. The results show that: (1) The perceived value of human settlements of traditional village residents comprises five distinct dimensions: living value, safety value, social value, cultural value, and spiritual value. (2) Both safety value and place attachment exert a significant positive direct effect on heritage responsibility behavior. (3) Place attachment plays a partial mediating role in the relationship between safety value and heritage responsibility behavior, while exerting a full mediating effect between living value, social value and heritage responsibility behavior. (4) Cultural value and spiritual value do not demonstrate significant influences on either place attachment or heritage responsibility behavior. Drawing on these results, the study puts forward targeted suggestions: Firstly, give priority to ensuring and enhancing village's safety value. Secondly, strengthen the emotional connection between residents and traditional villages, stimulating their internal motivation to participate in heritage conservation. Lastly, after effectively meeting residents' basic needs, promote their perceptual response to growth-oriented needs, inspire their cultural awareness and cultural confidence, and further enhance their subjectivity in heritage protection and village development.