Development of the college students' territorial behavior scale and latent profile analysis

Territorial behavior is a pervasive yet underexplored phenomenon among college students. Drawing on territoriality theory and Conservation of Resources theory, the present research aimed to develop a systematic measure of college students' territorial behavior and to identify latent behavioral profiles. Across two studies, a College Students' Territorial Behavior Scale was developed and validated. Study 1 employed qualitative interviews, item analysis, exploratory factor analysis, and confirmatory factor analysis to establish a reliable three-dimensional structure comprising territorial marking, territorial defending, and territorial expanding. The final 16-item scale demonstrated satisfactory reliability and construct validity. Study 2 applied latent profile analysis to examine heterogeneity in territorial behavior among college students. Results supported a three-profile solution: a defending-dominant group, a full-dimension high-involvement group, and an expanding-dominant group. These profiles reflected distinct strategic patterns in resource protection and acquisition. Overall, the findings extend current understanding of territorial behavior in higher education by identifying a three-dimensional structure of college students' territorial behavior and highlighting meaningful individual differences in territorial strategies.