Abstract

Zoos and aquariums consider themselves agents of environmental change, yet systematic efforts to evaluate how diverse audiences perceive individual exhibits and interpretive messages are rare. In response to a growing interest in understanding how visitors’ values (i.e. broad motivational life goals) influence their experiences and learning outcomes, this article examines whether visitors’ evaluations of a zoo exhibit reflect their value priorities. In an exploratory study of exhibit evaluation, 23 visitors were allocated to focus groups according to whether they prioritized self-transcendence, openness to change, or conservation values. Participants were then asked to identify elements of a target wildlife exhibit that would or would not motivate them to adopt conservation actions. While there were some commonalities, each values based focus group reacted to the target exhibit and interpretation differently and in ways that reflected the content of their shared value priorities. Suggestions for how this novel values-based approach to exhibit evaluation can be used to create messages and experiences that tap visitors’ value priorities are discussed.

摘要

动物园和水族馆将自己视为环境变化的推动者，但是很少有系统地评估各种观众如何看待单个展览品和解释性信息的努力。为了满足人们对了解访客的价值观（即广泛的动机性生活目标）如何影响他们的经历和学习成果的兴趣，本文研究了访客对动物园展品的评价是否反映了他们的价值优先事项。在展品评估的探索性研究中，根据他们优先考虑的是自我超越，变化的开放性或保护价值，将23位访客分配给焦点小组。然后，要求参与者确定目标野生动植物展览的要素，这些要素会或不会促使他们采取保护行动。虽然有一些共性，每个基于价值的焦点小组对目标的展示和解释的反应都不同，并且反映了其共享价值优先事项的内容。讨论了有关如何将这种新颖的基于价值的展示评估方法用于创建消息和体验的方法，这些信息和体验可以挖掘访问者的价值优先级。