The Cognitive Mechanisms of Residents under the Background of the Renewal of Suburban Historical and Cultural Villages

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the cognitive mechanisms of rural residents amidst the renewal of suburban historical and cultural villages by examining the interplay between nostalgia, collective memory, subjective well-being, and place identity in rural tourism destinations. Using Naobao Village as a case study—a suburban historical and cultural village in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia—this research employs a comprehensive approach integrating experimental methods and questionnaire surveys. The findings demonstrate that analyzing the interaction among the four emotions can elucidate the cognitive mechanism of residents. Moreover, it uncovers that positive tourism effects significantly influence residents’ perception of their living environment with positive effects on collective memory, subjective well-being, and place identity. In the theoretical model for generating cognition among residents in suburban historical and cultural villages, subjective well-being and collective memory play crucial mediating roles. This study offers a novel perspective for spatial reconstruction and cultural evolution of tourist landscapes in suburban rural tourist destinations.