Visitor Studies Research Articles

“Better to Die by Them than for Them”: Carl Schmitt Reads “Benito Cereno”

Previous articleNext article No Access“Better to Die by Them than for Them”: Carl Schmitt Reads “Benito Cereno”Werner SollorsWerner Sollors Search for more articles by this author Werner Sollors is the Henry B. and Anne M. Cabot Research Professor of English and of African American Studies at Harvard University. He recently published The Temptation of Despair: Tales of the 1940s (2014, German edition 2017), has completed a novella-length book manuscript on the representation of writing and texts in the visual arts, and is currently working, with Alide Cagidemetrio, on Face to Face with Antiquity, a study of visitors to ancient sites around the world.PDFPDF PLUSFull Text Add to favoritesDownload CitationTrack CitationsPermissionsReprints Share onFacebookTwitterLinkedInRedditEmail SectionsMoreDetailsFiguresReferencesCited by Critical Inquiry Volume 46, Number 2Winter 2020 Article DOIhttps://doi.org/10.1086/706684 Views: 544Total views on this site © 2020 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved.PDF download Crossref reports no articles citing this article.

Connecting motivations to outcomes: A study of park visitors’ outcome attainment

Assessing the visitor experience for management in park and protected areas has long been the research focus of social scientists working in concert with park managers. One approach to protected area management—outcomes focused management—examines either the motivations that guide the behavior of recreationists or the outcomes that are attained through outdoor recreation experiences as a means of better meeting visitor expectations. Though longstanding calls have been made to integrate motivations and outcomes, they remain separated—as researchers select one or the other as measures of either the drivers of or the actual visitor experience. This study is an attempt to connect motivations to outcomes with the goal of understanding their relationship and developing an outcome-based means of measuring the quality of experiences in a heavily visited area of Grand Teton National Park, Wyoming. Using a pre- and post-experience survey approach, researchers first asked visitors what outcomes they were seeking from the area and then examined to what degree they attained the outcomes that drove their visitation. Results of a structural equation model suggest that visitors were able to attain the outcomes they were seeking from their experience, with the exception of escaping society. The use of outcome attainment as a possible measure of quality is subsequently discussed.

Psychosocial curating: a theory and practice of exhibition-making at the intersection between health and aesthetics

A recent Manifesto for a Visual Medical Humanities suggested that more in-depth analysis of the contribution of visual art to medical humanities is urgently required. This need perhaps arises because...

Risk of human exposure to animal bites in China: a clinic-based cross-sectional study.

Human exposure to animal bites is the most important public health concern in relation to rabies transmission. This study aims to determine the factors associated with human exposure to animal bites in China. A cross-sectional study of visitors to rabies prevention clinics who were seeking treatment because of exposure to animal bites or scratches was conducted in Wuhan, China. Humans exposed to animal bites (n = 1015) were interviewed, and 87% of the bites were attributed to domestic animals. The risk types for animal bites included unprovoked aggression (31.7%), excessive play (27.5%), insufficient preparedness (26.7%), and improper care of animals (14.1%). Children aged 1-15 years (OR = 9.069, 95% CI: 4.572-17.987, P < 0.001) were more likely to be injured because of excessive play. Nonvaccinated people (OR = 2.168, 95% CI: 1.034-4.545, P = 0.040) and people who discontinued the rabies vaccine regimen (OR = 2.600, 95% CI: 1.561-4.331, P < 0.001) were at risk of rabies exposure and were more likely to be injured because of improper care of animals. This study showed that domestic animals were responsible for most animal bites. The associated factors were age, educational attainment, and animal ownership. Community health education with a special attention to schoolchildren and animal owners should be provided.

An assessment of the Migrants’ Arirang Multicultural Festival in South Korea: A comparative study of migrant and local visitors

This study targeted visitors attending a national multicultural festival in South Korea. A total of 709 respondents were analyzed to determine how local visitors and migrant visitors differed in perceived importance and performance. Analysis identified five festival dimensions including “restroom, parking, & staff,” “programs & activities,” “accessibility & location,” “souvenirs,” and “foods & drinks,” confirming no relationship between the importance and performance dimensions. Importantly, two groups showed both differences and similarities in the importance–performance analysis grid, while they statistically differed in all importance and performance dimensions. These findings reveal how the migrant group differs from the local group with respect to perceptions in planning to attend the multicultural festival and subsequent evaluations of their experience.

Museum Collections and Online Users: Development of a Segmentation Model for the Metropolitan Museum of Art

This article presents a segmentation of users who visit The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s online collection. The six segments defined in this study are professional researcher, personal interest information-seeker, student researcher, inspiration-seeker, casual browser, and visit planner. The study combines web analytics with more traditional survey methods to show how digital research tools can be incorporated into visitor studies in the emerging domain of online product evaluation. The results of this user research advance the understanding of museum website audiences, with detailed data and descriptions of each segment. The article argues that it is important for museums to create multiple kinds of online experiences to reflect the varying motivations, art background, context, and online behavior of website users. Moreover, the article provides a discussion on the implications of this user diversity for evaluating the impact and value of online museum collections. The evaluation framework needs to include metrics to measure the user experience by considering the online collection from three perspectives: as a resource for research and learning, as a source of inspiration, and as a tool for planning a visit to the museum.

An exploratory study of visitors’ motivations at a heritage destination

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to examine visitors’ motivations for going to the South Luogu Alley, a famous hutong with an over 700-year history in Beijing, China.Design/methodology/approachThe study applied a self-administered questionnaire to collect data from visitors on the main street of the South Luogu Alley.FindingsIt was found that most visitors of the hutong are casual tourists pursuing relaxation, including tension release and spending time with friends and family; seeking authenticity is not visitors’ most important motivation.Research limitations/implicationsThis study used only one hutong to assess visitors’ motivations in hutong tourism, so the results may not be applicable to all hutongs.Practical implicationsThe research on the demographics and different motivations of the South Luogu Alley visitors can be useful to managers of tourism-related organizations.Social implicationsThis study shows that tourists with different motivations for visiting a hutong have varying requirements for authenticity. The reconstruction of some historical hutongs is not always perceived as negative, and the influence of Western cultural elements can be seen as positive if they contribute to the sustainable development of the local culture.Originality/valueThe term “hutonger,” which includes casual visitors, entertainment seekers, authenticity seekers and pure escapees, based on these respective motivations, is introduced to describe the specific groups of hutong visitors and contribute to the hutong tourism literature.

US Emergency Department Visits and Hospital Discharges Among Uninsured Patients Before and After Implementation of the Affordable Care Act

The US Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010 (ACA) was enacted in 2010 with several provisions that targeted reducing numbers of uninsured Americans. To assess the numbers and proportion of emergency department (ED) visits (2006-2016) and hospital discharges (2006-2016) by uninsured patients, focusing on the 2014 ACA insurance reforms (Medicaid expansion, individual mandate, and private insurance exchanges). Cross-sectional study of visitors to US EDs and patients discharged from US hospitals using National Hospital Ambulatory Care Survey data and Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project data, respectively, from 2006 to 2016. Data analysis took place in February 2019. Numbers and proportions of total and uninsured ED visits and hospital discharges. Simple descriptive statistics and interrupted time-series analysis were used to assess changes in uninsured visits over time and after the implementation of insurance provisions in 2014. There were an estimated 1.4 billion US ED visits from 2006 to 2016 and 405 million hospital discharges from 2006 to 2016. Over the study period, ED visits increased by 2.3 million per year, while hospital discharges decreased from approximately 38 million per year prior to 2009 to approximately 36 million per year after, with no clear decrease after 2013. Proportions of uninsured ED visits were largely unchanged from 2006 (16%) until 2013 (14%) (-0.2 percentage point per year; 95% CI, -0.46 to -0.01 percentage point; P = .11) but then decreased by 2.1 percentage points per year from 2014 to 2016 (95% CI, -4.3 to -1.8 percentage points; P = .003), with uninsured visits composing 8% of the total in 2016. For patients aged 18 to 64 years, uninsured ED visits declined from approximately 20% from 2006 through 2013 to 11% in 2016 (3.1% decrease per year after 2013; 95% CI, -4.3 to -1.8 percentage points; P = .003). The proportion of hospital discharges by uninsured patients remained steady at approximately 6% from 2006 to 2013, then declined to 5% in 2014 and 4% in 2016. Similar changes were seen for patients aged 18 to 64 years, with a decrease in hospital discharges from 10% to 7% over the study period. Proportions of ED visits and hospital discharges by uninsured patients decreased considerably after the implementation of the 2014 ACA insurance provisions. Despite these changes, approximately 1 in 10 ED visits and 1 in 20 hospital discharges were made by uninsured individuals in 2014 to 2016. This suggests that continued attention is needed to address the lack of insurance in US hospital visits, particularly among people aged 18 to 64 years who have less access to government-sponsored insurance.

Human-Computer Interactions in Museums

Museums have been a domain of study and design intervention for Human-Computer Interaction for several decades. However, while resources providing overviews on the key issues in the scholarship have been produced in the fields of museum and visitor studies, no such resource as yet existed within HCI. This book fills this gap, and covers key issues regarding the study and design of human-computer interactions in museums. Through an on-site focus, the book examines how digital interactive technologies impact and shape galleries, exhibitions and their visitors. It consolidates the body of work in HCI conducted in the heritage field, and integrates it with insights from related fields and from digital heritage practice. Processes of HCI design and evaluation approaches for museums are also discussed. Hornecker and Ciolfi draw from their extensive knowledge of case studies and from their own work to provide examples, reflections, and illustrations of concepts and problems throughout the book. This book is for students and early career researchers in HCI or Interaction Design, for more seasoned investigators who might approach the museum domain for the first time, and for researchers and practitioners in related fields such as heritage and museum studies or visitor studies, as well as designers, who might wish to understand the HCI perspective on visitor-facing interactive technologies.

Introducing Walk-Alongs in Visitor Studies: A Mobile Method Approach to Studying User Experience

This article introduces the walk-along method as a potential approach to study visitor interactions and experiences in situ. Prompted by the methodological challenges involved in gaining insight into the individual, subjective visitor experience, this article explores the potentials and pros and cons of the mobile, walk-along method. The mobile walk-along method is an open-ended qualitative approach to capturing visitors’ immediate experiences, interpretations, and emotions in the instant of experiencing. This article points to the method’s relevance in visitor studies by drawing on empirical and methodological insights from a visitor study at a science center exhibition about movement and health at the Experimentarium near Copenhagen, Denmark. Based on 34 group walk-alongs (108 visitors), the findings show that the walk-along method can provide an understanding of visitor experience related to visitors’ spatial practice, personal biographies and the social architecture between visitors.

Children as curators: how to incorporate young visitors' voices into the elaboration and evaluation of a microbiology exhibition.

Studies of museum publics are relatively recent, and studies of child visitors are even more recent. In this paper we summarize the types of exhibition evaluations mentioned in the literature and present an evaluation process for an exhibition about microbiology developed for and with input from 4-to-6-year-old children. As a case study we analyzed an exhibition entitled "The Giant World of Microbes." Audio and video interviews were recorded with child visitors, and the stimulated recall technique was also employed. The data indicate the importance of interactive activities in enhancing child motivation and providing pertinent routes to follow when preparing an exhibition geared toward children.

Experimental and Quasi-Experimental Designs in Visitor Studies: A Critical Reflection on Three Projects

Identifying causal relationships is an important aspect of research and evaluation in visitor studies, such as making claims about the learning outcomes of a program or exhibit. Experimental and quasi-experimental approaches are powerful tools for addressing these causal questions. However, these designs are arguably underused in visitor studies. In this article, we offer examples of the use of experimental and quasi-experimental designs in science museums to aide investigators interested in expanding their methods toolkit and increasing their ability to make strong causal claims about programmatic experiences or relationships among variables. Using three designs from recent research (fully randomized experiment, posttest only quasi-experimental design with comparison condition, and posttest with independent pretest design), we discuss challenges and tradeoffs related to feasibility, participant experience, alignment with research questions, and internal and external validity. We end the article with broader reflections on the role of experimental and quasi-experimental designs in visitor studies.

Expectation-Perception Evaluation of Theme Park Service Quality in Zhengzhou Fantawild, China

Theme park tourism is among the fastest-growing trends in the Asia-Pacific region, and specifically in China. Apart from physical attractions, service quality plays a pivotal role in affecting the performance of and visitor satisfaction with theme parks. Theme park service quality, therefore, still requires theoretical knowledge from the field of service and tourism marketing. An investigation of service quality combining SERVQUAL investigation and the expectation disconfirmation theory is key in advancing understanding of theme park tourism in China. This paper aims to understand the level of service quality in Zhengzhou Fantawild, which is one of the most popular theme park brands in China, using a modified SERVQUAL model and its expectation-perception gap. Secondly, the study identified key service quality determinants of visitors' overall satisfaction, and lastly evaluated the service quality of the park. Through an empirical study of visitors (n=192) to Zhengzhou Fantawild, this research reveals that expectation-perception gap appear in all service dimensions. Results confirmed that the service quality of the park does not meet visitor'expectations, especially in terms of reliability. Although results may reflect a publicized high standard of service reliability, such exaggerated expectations might have partly caused the undesirable large experiential gap held by visitors. Tangible quality, reliability, and staff responsibility all play a part to determine visitors' satisfaction with service quality. Thirdly, an expectation-perception analysis mapping of service quality indicates that reliability, assurance, and responsiveness are of service strengths that contribute positively to visitors' experiences. The dimension of empathy is a weakness with low levels of both expectation and perception. Compared with other relevant studies in Hong Kong and in Europe, this study provides a representative case study of one of China's large-scale theme parks, and suggests a divergent configuration of theme park service quality across territories. The study suggests the need for understanding regional and global characterization of service attributes across markets of visitors for long-term theme park development, which indeed matches the hierarchical assessment of service quality in different industries of the tourism sector. Subscribe to JPRA

Exploring Tourist Satisfaction: A Study of Domestic Visitors at Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park

This study presents a comprehensive analysis of the tourist satisfaction and market competition environment of Shivapuri National Park as a tourist destination. The study defines the relevant concepts related to tourist destinations and satisfaction and conducts a SWOT analysis to evaluate the internal and external factors affecting the park. To gather empirical data, an email questionnaire survey was conducted, and responses from 210 domestic tourists were collected to investigate the actual conditions of the park and satisfaction levels based on 18 indicators. The research identifies practical issues that hinder the improvement of tourist satisfaction and proposes measures to enhance the overall experience of tourists. The findings of the study provide valuable insights into park management, which can be used to develop effective strategies for attracting more tourists and improving their overall satisfaction levels. The research highlights the importance of understanding the tourist satisfaction and market competition environment of national parks and the need for regular monitoring and evaluation to ensure sustainable tourism development.

The Effect of Destination Image, Amenities and Prices on Tourists’ Satisfaction: A Study of Visitors of Jatim Park 1, Batu

The purpose of this study is to analyze the influence of the destination image, amenities, and prices on the satisfaction of visitors to Jatim Park 1 Batu. The population of this study was visitors to Jatim Park 1 Batu at the time of this study, in April 2018. The sample size used was 100 respondents with the criteria that they had visited Jatim Park 1 and were 20 years old or more. The data were obtained through questionnaires, where tourists accessed via the Google forms application. Data analysis used was a descriptive approach and multiple linear regression statistics. The results show that tourist satisfaction was significantly influenced by prices variable, while the destination image and amenity did not show influence. Thus, Jatim Park 1 manager needs to improve promotion, product development, and quality services to provide a destination image and comfort for tourists.JEL Classification: D22, M31, Z30

Communication Matters: How Do Visitors Interact with Ethnographic Open-Air Museums?

[full article, abstract in English; abstract in Lithuanian]&#x0D; Though the concept of an ethnographic open-air museum is not a new one, little is known about the interplay between a visitor and an amalgam museum setting. Ethnographic open-air museums are complex spaces with shared qualities of outdoor sites and indoor museums. Grounded in Gibson’s theory of affordances (1979), the article explores how visitors interact within and in relation to the hybrid space of ethnographic open-air museum and how communication shapes their interactions. The analysis is based on a qualitative study of visitors in the Belarusian State Museum of Folk Architecture and Rural Lifestyle (Aziartso, Belarus) and the Open-Air Museum of Lithuania (Rumšiškės, Lithuania). The data were collected using participatory observation and semistructured interviews with visitors. The article employs a constructivist approach and conceptualizes an ethnographic museum as a free-choice environment, where behavior patterns are linked to the institutional context and the visitors’ ability to perceive the information about the objects and environments that specified the possibilities and constraints for interacting with the museum’s space. The study reveals how cultural communication fosters the diversity of visiting scenarios and the perceptions of ethnographic open-air museums as cultural heritage sites, natural parks and stages for entertainment. The implications of this research could be relevant to cultural policymakers and communication specialists in designing the cultural, recreational and educational policies of museums.

The moderation of gender and generation in the effects of perceived destination image on tourist attitude and visit intention: A study of potential Chinese visitors to Australia

The overall purpose of this study is to examine the moderating roles of gender and generation in the effects of perceived destination image on tourist attitude and visit intention among Chinese potential tourists to Australia. Australia is one of the preferred destinations to Chinese tourists, and the China market emerges to be increasingly important to destination marketing organizations in Australia. Echoing the call for more gender studies in the tourism literature and also based on the generation theory, this study employed a cross-sectional questionnaire survey design and used structural equation modelling in its analysis. Survey data were collected through convenience sampling in the Chinese city Harbin at various public venues where urban residents can be found. The study identified Services and Tourism Provisions, Natural Environment and Quality of Life as three destination image dimensions perceived by Chinese urban residents towards Australia. Services and Tourism Provisions and Natural Environment both positively affected tourist attitude, which in turn levered up visit intention. The study found that the effect of Services and Tourism Provisions on attitude was stronger for men than for women, while the effect of Natural Environment on attitude was stronger for women than for men; for the post-1980s/1990s generation, the effect of Natural Environment on attitude was significantly stronger than that for the post-1960s/1970s generation. Implications for tourism marketers and managers are discussed.

Art Museum Audience: The Arguments of Consumer Choice

Diversification of artistic supply and growing competition in the market of cultural services lead to the fact that the quality of artistic product (performance, concert, exhibition) is perceived as increasingly relative and loses its former importance as a decisive argument of consumer choice. What guides people in their communication with art? What are the determinants of their consumer behavior and are there any patterns in it? The chance of overcoming communication barriers and establishing a constructive dialogue between cultural institutions and their potential audience depends on whether the answers to these and other questions will be found. The article deals with the cultural aspect of this interaction — the role of motivation and individual preferences in art consumption, their influence on people’s cultural activity. The article is based on the results of a large-scale sociological study of visitors to the State Tretyakov Gallery, conducted by a research group from the State Institute of Art Studies. The museum’s audience was studied not only by the objective parameters traditionally described by art sociologists, but also by a number of difficult-to-measure content features that go far beyond socio-demographic descriptions. The study allows us to get closer to understanding some general patterns of consumer behavior in art, to determine the nature of consumer motivations and individual preferences’ influence on cultural choice. The article proves the existence of a statistically significant connection between these subjective behavioral determinants and the measure of personal cultural capital. The use of methods of mathematical statistics and econometrics expands the traditional potential of sociology of art and provides a qualitatively new level of reliability of results.

Effectiveness of family-oriented interpretive media with different design characteristics: A study of family visitors’ satisfaction on the worksheets of a botanical garden

Varying from previous studies that are mostly focused on whether the use of worksheets is effective for environmental education, this study compared three family-oriented worksheets with different design characteristics to explore their effects based on family visitors’ satisfaction. The results revealed that differences in children’s ages influenced family visitors’ satisfaction. Families with younger children tended to be more satisfied with worksheets that featured higher relevance to personal experience and more animal-related content. Families with older children tended to prefer the worksheets with more observation–need tasks and more understanding-based questions. This study contributed to the practical need of interpretive media’s designing and family-oriented programs’ planning in the environmental education field.

Wine Tourists in Emerging Wine Regions: A Study of Tasting Room Visitors in the Great Lakes Region of the US

Since 2000, the number of wineries in the US has nearly tripled. Many of the new wineries are small, located in regions not known for wine production, and often specialize in lesser known wine grape varieties that are suited to the local environment. With over 900 wineries, the Great Lakes region in the northern US accounts for a small percentage of US wine production, but the wine industry there plays an important role in rural economies that historically relied on manufacturing, extraction, and non-wine agriculture. The emerging wine industry in new locations is also providing new opportunities for people to experience a winery visit. In fact, most small wineries rely primarily on sales from their tasting rooms. However, the factors that impact the purchase decision at a winery are different than those at retail establishments and restaurants, and there is evidence that the people who visit wineries in emerging regions are different than typical wine consumers and visitors to the world's best-known wine regions. Given the importance of winery visitors to the success of wineries in emerging regions, it is critical that winery leaders and tourism stakeholders understand their consumers and the factors that impact their travel and wine purchase decisions. This article presents the results of a study of over 3,000 visitors to wineries in three Great Lakes region states. Findings show that the main reason for visiting wineries is for recreational experiences rather than to purchase wine; however, almost all wine tourists contacted for this study purchased several bottles of wine to take home. Moreover, visiting wineries is an important reason for travel decisions, and wine tourists spend a significant amount of money in the region while they are there. Additional findings can inform the decisions of wine tourism stakeholders and provide insights on visitors to emerging wine regions.