Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503878
J. Packer, R. Ballantyne, Jerry F. Luebke
Abstract Modern zoos face increasing pressures to maintain and demonstrate both the physical and psychological well-being of animals in their care. However, the informal judgments that zoo visitors make about animal well-being may be based on criteria that are inappropriate or misleading. In this research, two self-administered questionnaires were used to explore the indicators that zoo visitors use, consciously or unconsciously, to judge the well-being of gorillas in a naturalistic zoo exhibit. One questionnaire was completed by 105 adult visitors as they exited a gorilla exhibit; another questionnaire was completed by a separate sample of 166 adult visitors while they were observing the gorillas in the exhibit. The results demonstrate that visitors are willing to make judgments of animal welfare, are able to articulate the reasons underlying their judgments, use different indicators when judging health and happiness, and are influenced by environmental aspects of the exhibit. Visitors’ assessments of animal well-being were positively related to their emotional connections with the gorillas and their satisfaction with the visit. Suggestions are provided regarding interpretive information that zoos might provide to better inform visitors’ perceptions of animal well-being.
{"title":"Exploring the Factors That Influence Zoo Visitors’ Perceptions of the Well-Being of Gorillas: Implications for Zoo Exhibit Interpretation","authors":"J. Packer, R. Ballantyne, Jerry F. Luebke","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2018.1503878","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503878","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Modern zoos face increasing pressures to maintain and demonstrate both the physical and psychological well-being of animals in their care. However, the informal judgments that zoo visitors make about animal well-being may be based on criteria that are inappropriate or misleading. In this research, two self-administered questionnaires were used to explore the indicators that zoo visitors use, consciously or unconsciously, to judge the well-being of gorillas in a naturalistic zoo exhibit. One questionnaire was completed by 105 adult visitors as they exited a gorilla exhibit; another questionnaire was completed by a separate sample of 166 adult visitors while they were observing the gorillas in the exhibit. The results demonstrate that visitors are willing to make judgments of animal welfare, are able to articulate the reasons underlying their judgments, use different indicators when judging health and happiness, and are influenced by environmental aspects of the exhibit. Visitors’ assessments of animal well-being were positively related to their emotional connections with the gorillas and their satisfaction with the visit. Suggestions are provided regarding interpretive information that zoos might provide to better inform visitors’ perceptions of animal well-being.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"21 1","pages":"57 - 78"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503878","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42344063","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503877
E. E. T. Horr, J. Heimlich
Abstract Although the validity of collecting quantitative data using electronic platforms has been widely accepted, there has been concern that qualitative data collected on an electronic platform may not provide the same depth and richness in response quality as data collected using the pen-and-paper format. This article compares the quality of responses to open-ended questions collected using the pen-and-paper platform with responses collected using an electronic platform. Data for a program evaluation study were collected using either the pen-and-paper platform, an iPad, or an iPad Mini at a series of after-hours events for adults at the Center of Science and Industry, a Midwest science center. Metrics were designed to calculate a comprehensive response score consisting of the breadth of information and the richness of detail in open-ended item responses, allowing us to compare the overall response quality between the three platforms. Results indicate that qualitative data collected using electronic devices are as broad and detailed as data collected using traditional pen-and-paper techniques.
{"title":"Effect of Platform Used for Data Collection on Open-Ended Response Quality","authors":"E. E. T. Horr, J. Heimlich","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2018.1503877","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503877","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Although the validity of collecting quantitative data using electronic platforms has been widely accepted, there has been concern that qualitative data collected on an electronic platform may not provide the same depth and richness in response quality as data collected using the pen-and-paper format. This article compares the quality of responses to open-ended questions collected using the pen-and-paper platform with responses collected using an electronic platform. Data for a program evaluation study were collected using either the pen-and-paper platform, an iPad, or an iPad Mini at a series of after-hours events for adults at the Center of Science and Industry, a Midwest science center. Metrics were designed to calculate a comprehensive response score consisting of the breadth of information and the richness of detail in open-ended item responses, allowing us to compare the overall response quality between the three platforms. Results indicate that qualitative data collected using electronic devices are as broad and detailed as data collected using traditional pen-and-paper techniques.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"21 1","pages":"121 - 134"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503877","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46103468","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503875
Joshua P. Gutwill
Abstract Recent research suggests that emerging adulthood—the stage between adolescence and maturity marked by a lengthy process of identity development—constitutes a window of opportunity for museums to influence adults' lifelong science learning trajectories. The current study sought to explore the impact of a single museum visit on emerging adults' science self-efficacy, beliefs about their own abilities to learn or do science. A repeated measures design assessed the science self-efficacy of 244 emerging adults before, immediately after, and three months after a science museum visit. Results from surveys and interviews indicate that self-efficacy increased after the visit, but only females maintained their elevated self-efficacy three months after the visit. Increases were associated with the visit and with self-reports citing mastery at exhibits, vicariously watching others at exhibits, and positive emotional experiences within the museum. The article discusses the study's limitations as well as implications for research and museum practice.
{"title":"Science Self-Efficacy and Lifelong Learning: Emerging Adults in Science Museums","authors":"Joshua P. Gutwill","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2018.1503875","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503875","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Recent research suggests that emerging adulthood—the stage between adolescence and maturity marked by a lengthy process of identity development—constitutes a window of opportunity for museums to influence adults' lifelong science learning trajectories. The current study sought to explore the impact of a single museum visit on emerging adults' science self-efficacy, beliefs about their own abilities to learn or do science. A repeated measures design assessed the science self-efficacy of 244 emerging adults before, immediately after, and three months after a science museum visit. Results from surveys and interviews indicate that self-efficacy increased after the visit, but only females maintained their elevated self-efficacy three months after the visit. Increases were associated with the visit and with self-reports citing mastery at exhibits, vicariously watching others at exhibits, and positive emotional experiences within the museum. The article discusses the study's limitations as well as implications for research and museum practice.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"21 1","pages":"31 - 56"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503875","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46021670","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2018-01-02DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2018.1503876
N. Haywood
Abstract Accompanied visits are commonly used to capture visitors’ spontaneously occurring activities, conversations, and views. However, there is limited reflection on how to implement and analyze accompanied visits, and their use is under-theorized. This article draws on three uses of accompanied visits: in a small gallery, a botanic garden, and a science museum. It describes and critically reflects on the methods used for these visits. Overall, it is argued that although accompanied visits can offer valuable insights into visitors’ views and experiences, it is important to conceptualize them to shape academic discussions and longer-term improvements to museum practice and visitor experience. The article provides a typology of accompanied visits that is based on an ethnographic approach and that shows the benefits and drawbacks of different types of accompanied visits. The typology provides the necessary structure for accompanied visits to understand current audiences and possibly to increase the number and diversity of future audiences.
{"title":"Accompanied Visits as a Tool to Understand Visitors’ Experiences: A Critical Reflection and Proposed Typology","authors":"N. Haywood","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2018.1503876","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503876","url":null,"abstract":"Abstract Accompanied visits are commonly used to capture visitors’ spontaneously occurring activities, conversations, and views. However, there is limited reflection on how to implement and analyze accompanied visits, and their use is under-theorized. This article draws on three uses of accompanied visits: in a small gallery, a botanic garden, and a science museum. It describes and critically reflects on the methods used for these visits. Overall, it is argued that although accompanied visits can offer valuable insights into visitors’ views and experiences, it is important to conceptualize them to shape academic discussions and longer-term improvements to museum practice and visitor experience. The article provides a typology of accompanied visits that is based on an ethnographic approach and that shows the benefits and drawbacks of different types of accompanied visits. The typology provides the necessary structure for accompanied visits to understand current audiences and possibly to increase the number and diversity of future audiences.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"21 1","pages":"135 - 147"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2018-01-02","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2018.1503876","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47729695","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404352
Alexandra M. Burris
ABSTRACT A point-of-view (POV) camera is a video recording device attached to the person of a research participant. The cameras collect observational data from the individual wearing them and those in close proximity. The cameras can be used to collect data that provide researchers with an immersive view of visitor experience by documenting visits from the perspective of the individual. The purpose of this article is to outline the benefits and weaknesses of using POV cameras for answering broad visitor studies research questions, compare their use to other common methods for visitor studies research, and examine their use within four informal educational settings—a zoo, a museum exhibit, a bus tour, and an afterschool program. In particular, the POV cameras are useful for capturing data beyond a single exhibit, recording the dialogue and gestures of individual visitors, and documenting interactions among group members. POV cameras may be especially useful for answering questions about hands-on activities such as building or tinkering. Limitations that should be considered when attempting to use POV cameras include participants tampering with the recording, the inability to see facial expressions, and the limited angle of captured video. Care should also be taken to minimize the discomfort of visitors in studies utilizing POV cameras.
{"title":"A Child's-Eye View: An Examination of Point-of-View Camera Use in Four Informal Education Settings","authors":"Alexandra M. Burris","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404352","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404352","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT A point-of-view (POV) camera is a video recording device attached to the person of a research participant. The cameras collect observational data from the individual wearing them and those in close proximity. The cameras can be used to collect data that provide researchers with an immersive view of visitor experience by documenting visits from the perspective of the individual. The purpose of this article is to outline the benefits and weaknesses of using POV cameras for answering broad visitor studies research questions, compare their use to other common methods for visitor studies research, and examine their use within four informal educational settings—a zoo, a museum exhibit, a bus tour, and an afterschool program. In particular, the POV cameras are useful for capturing data beyond a single exhibit, recording the dialogue and gestures of individual visitors, and documenting interactions among group members. POV cameras may be especially useful for answering questions about hands-on activities such as building or tinkering. Limitations that should be considered when attempting to use POV cameras include participants tampering with the recording, the inability to see facial expressions, and the limited angle of captured video. Care should also be taken to minimize the discomfort of visitors in studies utilizing POV cameras.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"218 - 237"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404352","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"49403071","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404351
Lærke Mygind, P. Bentsen
ABSTRACT The method of timing and tracking has a long history within visitor studies and exhibition evaluation. With an increase in indoor tracking research, sensor-based positioning tool usage in museums has grown, as have expectations regarding the efficacy of technological sensing systems. This literature review identifies emerging trends in sensor-based tracking methods used for museum visitor studies. Ten studies are identified, in which five sensor-based solutions are used to access visitor movement in museum settings. These are compared with more established observational timing and tracking methods in terms of obtained level of detail, accuracy, level of obtrusiveness, automation of data entry, ability to time concurrent behaviors, and amount of observer training needed. Although individual sensor-based and traditional, observational methods had both strengths and weaknesses, all sensor-based timing and tracking methods provided automated data entry and the opportunity to track a number of visitors simultaneously regardless of the available personnel.
{"title":"Reviewing Automated Sensor-Based Visitor Tracking Studies: Beyond Traditional Observational Methods?","authors":"Lærke Mygind, P. Bentsen","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404351","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404351","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT The method of timing and tracking has a long history within visitor studies and exhibition evaluation. With an increase in indoor tracking research, sensor-based positioning tool usage in museums has grown, as have expectations regarding the efficacy of technological sensing systems. This literature review identifies emerging trends in sensor-based tracking methods used for museum visitor studies. Ten studies are identified, in which five sensor-based solutions are used to access visitor movement in museum settings. These are compared with more established observational timing and tracking methods in terms of obtained level of detail, accuracy, level of obtrusiveness, automation of data entry, ability to time concurrent behaviors, and amount of observer training needed. Although individual sensor-based and traditional, observational methods had both strengths and weaknesses, all sensor-based timing and tracking methods provided automated data entry and the opportunity to track a number of visitors simultaneously regardless of the available personnel.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"202 - 217"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404351","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41364597","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404353
E. Nomikou
{"title":"The Art of Relevance. Simon, N. (2016)","authors":"E. Nomikou","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404353","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404353","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"238 - 239"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404353","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43495987","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404345
Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert
ABSTRACT There is an animated debate in popular media about whether or not photography should be allowed in art museums. However, there is limited research that examines how visitors themselves feel about visitor photography and the reasons why they choose to take (or not take) photographs in museums. This research, conducted at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, uses semistructured, in-depth interviews and photo elicitation with 40 adults to examine visitors' attitudes to using photography inside art museums and their motivations for doing so. The research results suggest that visitors with positive attitudes towards visitor photography see photographic devices as tools that enhance certain aspects of the museum experience, promote further education, and provide entry points to exhibitions and a more interactive, personal experience. Those with negative attitudes see photographic devices as mediating and distracting lenses that have a detrimental effect on intimate experiences with artworks. Many of the participants with negative attitudes still use photographic devices because they believe that the risk of diminishing art experiences in the museum is worth taking, considering the potential uses of photography. The six main motivations for taking photographs in museums are (a) to aid memory, (b) to share, (c) for further research, (d) to inspire, (e) as building material for self-identity, and (f) as an art form in its own right.
{"title":"Photographing in the Art Museum: Visitor Attitudes and Motivations","authors":"Theopisti Stylianou-Lambert","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404345","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404345","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT There is an animated debate in popular media about whether or not photography should be allowed in art museums. However, there is limited research that examines how visitors themselves feel about visitor photography and the reasons why they choose to take (or not take) photographs in museums. This research, conducted at the Smithsonian National Portrait Gallery in Washington, DC, uses semistructured, in-depth interviews and photo elicitation with 40 adults to examine visitors' attitudes to using photography inside art museums and their motivations for doing so. The research results suggest that visitors with positive attitudes towards visitor photography see photographic devices as tools that enhance certain aspects of the museum experience, promote further education, and provide entry points to exhibitions and a more interactive, personal experience. Those with negative attitudes see photographic devices as mediating and distracting lenses that have a detrimental effect on intimate experiences with artworks. Many of the participants with negative attitudes still use photographic devices because they believe that the risk of diminishing art experiences in the museum is worth taking, considering the potential uses of photography. The six main motivations for taking photographs in museums are (a) to aid memory, (b) to share, (c) for further research, (d) to inspire, (e) as building material for self-identity, and (f) as an art form in its own right.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"114 - 137"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404345","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"42383853","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404348
Scott A. Pattison, Scott M. Randol, M. Benne, Andee Rubin, Ivel Gontan, Elizabeth Andanen, Crosby Bromley, Smirla Ramos-Montañez, L. Dierking
ABSTRACT Staff facilitators in museums and science centers are a critical but often overlooked component of the visitor experience. Despite assertions about the important role they play in visitor learning, there continues to be almost no research to understand staff facilitation in these settings or identify effective practices. To address these gaps, we conducted a design-based research study to describe the work of experienced museum educators and iteratively refine a model of staff facilitation to support family learning at interactive math exhibits developed through a prior project. The resulting facilitation model identifies three visitor experience goals, outlines the cycle of responsive facilitation (observe, support, reflect) that educators used to support these goals, and highlights the physical, personal, and sociocultural factors that appeared to influence the nature and outcomes of the interactions. The model provides empirical support to guide professional development for museum educators and suggests future directions for visitor studies research.
{"title":"A Design-Based Research Study of Staff-Facilitated Family Learning at Interactive Math Exhibits","authors":"Scott A. Pattison, Scott M. Randol, M. Benne, Andee Rubin, Ivel Gontan, Elizabeth Andanen, Crosby Bromley, Smirla Ramos-Montañez, L. Dierking","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404348","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404348","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Staff facilitators in museums and science centers are a critical but often overlooked component of the visitor experience. Despite assertions about the important role they play in visitor learning, there continues to be almost no research to understand staff facilitation in these settings or identify effective practices. To address these gaps, we conducted a design-based research study to describe the work of experienced museum educators and iteratively refine a model of staff facilitation to support family learning at interactive math exhibits developed through a prior project. The resulting facilitation model identifies three visitor experience goals, outlines the cycle of responsive facilitation (observe, support, reflect) that educators used to support these goals, and highlights the physical, personal, and sociocultural factors that appeared to influence the nature and outcomes of the interactions. The model provides empirical support to guide professional development for museum educators and suggests future directions for visitor studies research.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"20 1","pages":"138 - 164"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404348","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"44721316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2017-07-03DOI: 10.1080/10645578.2017.1404350
M. Pietilä
ABSTRACT Managers of outdoor recreation areas must understand how certain types of settings influence visitor experiences to support preferred on-site experiences. Geographically explicit techniques need to be used to explore this setting-experience relationship because inaccurate measuring methods have resulted in a weak association between settings and realized visitor experiences. This study piloted accurate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods to study how visitor experiences differ across settings in Oulanka National Park (NP), Finland. Data on visitor experiences was collected in a map-based online survey. Visitors (N = 170) completed the survey after their visit to Oulanka NP by marking first the locations which they had visited on an electronic map and then selecting those experience items, such as relaxation and physical wellbeing, that they had felt in these locations. The study area was classified into four different settings on a continuum of primitive to developed, using measures of infrastructure, social interaction, and accessibility in GIS software. Mapped experiences were compared against the settings using chi-squared test. No significant differences were found in experience items across recreation settings. The results encourage continued use of GIS tools to study visitor experiences and their geographical contexts but suggest using more qualitative forms of mapping.
{"title":"Do Visitor Experiences Differ Across Recreation Settings? Using Geographical Information Systems to Study the Setting-Experience Relationship","authors":"M. Pietilä","doi":"10.1080/10645578.2017.1404350","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404350","url":null,"abstract":"ABSTRACT Managers of outdoor recreation areas must understand how certain types of settings influence visitor experiences to support preferred on-site experiences. Geographically explicit techniques need to be used to explore this setting-experience relationship because inaccurate measuring methods have resulted in a weak association between settings and realized visitor experiences. This study piloted accurate Geographic Information Systems (GIS) methods to study how visitor experiences differ across settings in Oulanka National Park (NP), Finland. Data on visitor experiences was collected in a map-based online survey. Visitors (N = 170) completed the survey after their visit to Oulanka NP by marking first the locations which they had visited on an electronic map and then selecting those experience items, such as relaxation and physical wellbeing, that they had felt in these locations. The study area was classified into four different settings on a continuum of primitive to developed, using measures of infrastructure, social interaction, and accessibility in GIS software. Mapped experiences were compared against the settings using chi-squared test. No significant differences were found in experience items across recreation settings. The results encourage continued use of GIS tools to study visitor experiences and their geographical contexts but suggest using more qualitative forms of mapping.","PeriodicalId":45516,"journal":{"name":"Visitor Studies","volume":"72 1","pages":"187 - 201"},"PeriodicalIF":1.5,"publicationDate":"2017-07-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://sci-hub-pdf.com/10.1080/10645578.2017.1404350","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"41257162","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":"","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
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