Is There Value in Including Information about Animal Cognition and Emotion in Zoo Messaging?

Abstract

What kind of zoo signage is most likely to engage patrons and lead to interest in an animal? We conducted three laboratory studies designed to shed light on this issue by examining the effect of providing information about two features of an animal: 1) its cognitive ability, and 2) its emotional complexity. In Study 1, compared to typical ID label information, both cognitive and emotional information produced more positive ratings of the animal. In Study 2, we compared emotional information presenting the animal in a positive light and similar information presenting the animal in a negative light. In Study 3, we compared the effects of each kind of information for animals differing in charisma (arachnid or bird). There were significant effects of message for both species. In sum, there was consistent evidence that information about surprising cognitive or emotional sophistication is more impactful than typical ID labels.