Young Visitors Research Articles

Virtual Reality-Based Alcohol Prevention: The Results of a Cross-Sectional Study with Visitors of an Art Exhibition

Virtual reality (VR) can help to prevent alcohol consumption by simulating peer pressure. While existing VR applications for adolescents are primarily tested in schools, expanding them to museums and art galleries offers setting-specific benefits and could enhance their reach. An interactive VR simulation was presented in an art exhibition on substance use reflection. This study aimed to (1) describe visitor experiences with the simulation and (2) analyse differences according to gender and age. Visitors (n = 293) explored Virtual LimitLab for about 15 min before completing a survey on user experience and perceived learning experiences, which also included open questions on its positive and negative aspects. The quantitative user experience and perceived learning experience items were rated positively, except for knowledge increase. Young visitors (≤18 years of age) perceived Virtual LimitLab as more interesting (p = 0.043) and exciting (p = 0.047) than older ones. Female visitors rated the reflective response (p = 0.016) and sensitisation to social pressure (p = 0.024) higher than males. The qualitative evaluation showed that visitors appreciated the simulation’s realism, authenticity and adaptability. VR-based public health interventions in the arts setting need further research to study their preventive potential.

Age-adapted painting descriptions change the viewing behavior of young visitors to the Rijksmuseum

Children learn about art by actively engaging with their surroundings. This makes museums potentially rich environments for learning and development. Yet, the descriptions of paintings on show are usually written for adults rather than younger visitors. This study uses mobile eye tracking to examine how painting descriptions tailored for children influence their eye movements when viewing paintings at the Rijksmuseum - the national museum of The Netherlands. Our findings underscore the importance of adapting information specifically for children, rather than simply providing them with adult-oriented museum materials. Children who received information tailored to their developmental level showed increased glance durations to areas highlighted in the descriptions. Strikingly, the behavior of children provided with painting descriptions intended for adults was no different from their behavior when they received no information at all.

Revitalization of urban industrial heritage from a perspective of spatial production theory: the case study of “Old market” project

ABSTRACT The renewal of urban industrial heritage brings many benefits, meanwhile facing challenges, and there is a lack of in-depth and specific case study analysis. Based on spatial production theory, this paper takes an iconic project as an example to explore its construction process and reveal the spatial and social changes it triggers. This case study investigates the changes in physical and social spaces resulting from the shift in the subjects of spatial production. By analyzing document data, spatial data, and field data, the following key findings and conclusions are obtained: 1) Capital led the regeneration process, transformed decaying factory buildings into consumer space, and activated the economic vitality of the area. 2) The construction of the physical space changed the spatial layout, structure and function that attracted the creative community and young visitors, changing daily lives of the space users. 3) However, the neglect of industrial culture and participation of nearby residents are obvious challenges. The results indicate that using spatial production as a theoretical analysis framework helps us fully understand the challenges faced in the renewal of urban industrial heritage projects. This study can provide a reference for small-scale urban heritage renewal projects, facilitating accurate decision-making.

When intangible cultural heritage meets modernization–Can Chinese opera with modernized elements attract young festival-goers?

Although festivals centered around intangible cultural heritage (ICH) remain pivotal attractions for tourism destinations, the enduring appeal of Chinese opera experiences a significant decline. This research investigates whether imbuing traditional Chinese opera with modernized elements would attract young festival-goers, applying cognitive appraisal theory. Study 1 utilizing a mixed method generated eight dimensions (i.e., action, costume, lighting, makeup, music, script, story, and venue) and 41 items for measuring modernized attributes of Chinese opera. Study 2, conducted during an immersive Chinese opera festival performing “The Drunken Concubine”, discovered sequential effects of multiple modernized attributes of Chinese opera on perceived novelty, enjoyment, satisfaction and loyalty. Intriguingly, this impact remains robust irrespective of attendees’ subjective knowledge. Study 3 supplements these findings with interpretative evidence derived from interviews and physiological data. The study advances our understanding of how young visitors evaluate modernization of ICH based on hybrid measures and extends the literature on ICH festivals.

Are Interactive Exhibits at a Science Center Cognitive Artifacts?

AbstractThe paper examines the semiotic and cognitive status of interactive exhibits at science centers, taking the Copernicus Science Center in Warsaw (CSC) as an example. Such science centers support bottom-up interactions, encouraging visitors to spontaneously explore the exhibits in various ways. We analyze one distinctive way of interaction, when young visitors ignore an exhibit’s instruction and use it as if it were a kind of a toy or machine to play with (this is particularly common with exhibits that are unfamiliar “open-ended objects”). Drawing on cognitive semiotics we describe this particular way of interacting with exhibits as the reality mode of experience, in which the user ignores an intended exhibit’s representational function. We consider whether such interactive objects can be framed as cognitive artifacts, given that standard conceptualizations of artifacts emphasize their representational function. How can we convincingly describe the process by which the cognitive function of an exhibit experienced in reality mode is constituted? In this paper we apply concept of ecological cognitive artifact and the idea of the enactive signification to these questions. We argue that exhibits experienced in reality mode do indeed perform cognitive functions, even in the absence of a representational relation. Our investigation provides insights into the cognitive functions of exhibits and contributes to the conceptualization of non-representational cognitive artifacts.

The digital economy brings new opportunities for arts and culture

We are currently in the digital era of the 21st century, and the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence has brought new energy to the evolution of museums. Museums must inevitably advance towards digitisation. Therefore, the variety of applications for artificial intelligence and other related technologies should be broadened. At the same time, numerous arising issues need to be addressed. The focus of this paper is the objective of increasing young visitors’ satisfaction. Herein, we leverage an assortment of digital technology tools and continuously evaluate their commercial feasibility. It is hoped that a rise in satisfaction can be accomplished through the exemplar business plan provided.

Analysing Narration of Museum Exhibition Information for Young Visitors

Current museums lack innovation in their exhibition design resulting in a decline of young visitors' interest. There is a need to enhance visitors' experience in museum exhibition design to attract young visitors' interest in traditional Chinese culture. The purpose of this study is to analyze potential advanced narration of museum exhibition information for young visitors. This study conducted a systematic literature review synthesis process to evaluate the trend, identify the gaps, and recommend future approaches in designing alternative exhibition narration. Results will cover museum exhibition design, exhibition information, thematic narrative exhibition, exhibition design process, and high technology display. The results of the study include recommendations for a typical exhibition layout, a typical process of exhibiting artifacts in museums how best to narrate an exhibition, and the critical components in artifact narration. The significance of the study is supporting to increase the interest of young visitors in the museum exhibition by enhancing experience and further well-studied the traditional Chinese culture. Future study recommends to enhance cultural confidence through better inheritance and innovation through interactive exhibition design and gamified museum storytelling.

Kunst kindgerecht erklärt – eine Fallstudie zu museumspädagogischen Erklärvideos

As young visitors represent “the museum audience of the future”, museums should be particularly committed to engaging children in museum experiences pursuing a child-oriented approach to art communication and education. The analysis of museum communication from a linguistic perspective seems thus a promising way of exploring the target-group-specificity of museum educational resources explicitly designed for addressing young audiences. Explanatory videos featured on museum websites which present the museum itself or masterpieces of its collections are examples of digital tools employed by museums to introduce children to art and encouraging them to become devoted visitors. The paper presents the findings of a case study of a sample of German and Italian museum explanatory videos for primary school children, aiming at analyzing the linguistic and multimodal strategies used by museums in order to transfer knowledge about art, artists and exhibitions in a child-centered explanatory style. Of particular interest in this context is the question of whether and to what extent these videos encourage a participatory, play-based access to art or enable an experience-oriented approach to art-related contents, as advocated by current trends in museum communication and education.

The cultural impact of the world cup competition in Qatar 2022

The substantial progress that the nation has witnessed in its preparations for the 2022 World Cup, aligned with the goals set for 2030, will be a significant and lasting legacy of the tournament. As part of this initiative, seven state-of-the-art stadiums have been built from scratch. The hosting of the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar marked the first time the tournament took place in the Middle East or any Arab country. Over the course of the tournament, nearly one million spectators traveled to the region, providing many with their first exposure to Arab culture. While Qatari people often dress in traditional attire, tourists and expatriates are seen wearing a wide range of styles. Tourists have the freedom to dress in traditional Qatari clothing if they wish to do so. The Qatari culture places high importance on strong and stable families. Restaurants, shopping centers, museums, and even fan zones are all welcoming and open to young visitors at any time, day or night.
 Adding insult to injury, alcohol is not prominently featured in Qatar. Only hotels, taverns, and restaurants with proper permits are authorized venues for legal alcohol consumption. It is against the law to consume alcoholic beverages outside of these approved establishments. The State of Qatar strictly enforces a zero-tolerance policy regarding the importation of alcoholic beverages. To avoid having their alcohol confiscated upon arrival in Qatar, tourists should refrain from bringing any alcoholic beverages from their home country or purchasing duty-free items along the way. Public displays of affection are not part of the local tradition, but meeting new people and enjoying their company are highly valued. However, Qatar offers alternative forms of entertainment. It is customary to have some cash on hand to provide gratuities for services, particularly in the hospitality industry.

A study on the influence mechanism of perceived situational factors on young tourists’ pro-environment behaviors: Taking perceived coolness as an example

The sustainable development of tourism destinations is intimately tied to tourists' pro-environmental behaviors. Limited studies have explored the influence of factors such as emotions, morals, and rationality on tourists' pro-environmental behaviors. Although progress has been made in identifying the factors that predict tourists' pro-environmental behaviors, the mechanisms through which perceived situational factors impact environmental behaviors remain insufficiently understood. Furthermore, considering the evolving characteristics of the global population and changes in consumer behavior preferences, particularly the increasing use of coolness as a marketing tool targeting young people, this study develops a stimulus‒organism‒response (S–O-R) framework to examine the impact of perceived coolness on young tourists' pro-environmental behaviors and further investigates the gender differences in this relationship from the perspective of situated cognition. The approach used is deductive. According to data collected from 564 young visitors who attended the Strawberry Music Festival, males' perception of coolness directly influence their pro-environmental behavior, while females’ perception of coolness are indirectly influenced by place identity and psychological ownership. This study provides a valuable theoretical perspective on the influence of perceived situational factors on pro-environmental behavior among young tourists and offers insights for managers regarding promoting destination development and designing products.

Understanding virtual museum visits: generation Z experiences

ABSTRACT This paper aims to provide new insight into creating authentic Web-based virtual museum experiences by exploring positive and negative elements of the experiences of Web-based virtual museum visits performed by young (Generation Z) visitors. The Qualitative Diary Research (QDR) method was applied, encompassing 107 visits of web-based virtual museums from different countries. Results reveal that the visitors’ orientation and moving, the technology used in virtual museums, and virtual exhibition and artefacts represent crucial factors for satisfaction. Time flexibility and lack of cost contribute to a better virtual museum experience. The absence of people in virtual museums and the lack of services such as museum e-shops and entertainment were found to be harmful elements in contributing to the better virtual museum experience. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first paper that offers insights into Generation Z experiences of different Web-based virtual museums.

Augmented and Virtual Reality to Enhance the Didactical Experience of Technological Heritage Museums

The way that the new generations approach cultural contents changed dramatically. The audiovisual language substituted traditional media. Museums face now an important challenge to survive as cultural referents in this new paradigm: the introduction of new audiovisual languages in their exhibitions and the provision of attractive online content. The work presents a case study of the use of augmented reality and virtual reality (AR/VR) in a technological heritage museum, with a double approach: on the one hand the development of AR to enhance the real visit to the museum; and on the other, the provision of VR to ease online visits to the museum for those that do not want to or cannot visit it. The results show that young visitors massively appreciate the use of these technologies. Using AR contents also contributes to the preservation of the original artifacts without damage. Furthermore, multimedia content provides some contextual information, improving the learning experience. Regarding the VR application, it is thought as a complement to the AR experience. It was developed as a virtual reproduction of the museum visit that can be experienced from any location, thus contributing to a higher diffusion of the museum contents.

Preferences of Young Adult Visitors to Manor Parks in South Poland: A Study on Ecosystem Services and Scenic Quality

Manor parks are characteristic cultural features in Polish agricultural landscapes. About 10,000 manor parks are estimated to exist in Poland, and due to their high natural, historic and scenic value, these features represent potential in terms of ecosystem services. To properly manage these sites, it is advisable to determine the preferences of its visitors. The present study presents the results of a quantitative survey based on a group of 352 young visitors to manor parks in south Poland. The results show that visitors with higher monthly incomes have a statistically significant higher awareness as far as caring for the authenticity and preservation of the natural and historical heritage of manor parks and forests. Conversely, for visitors with lower incomes, additional touristic promotion attractions (e.g., souvenirs, guided visits) are increasingly important. The results of the study provide an important basis of information for local authorities, as well as private owners, with regard to preserving the natural and historical values (which are closely connected with the scenic values) of these sites, as well as local tourism development. The values of nature, sustainability, tourism and the improvement of life quality are linked to the enhancement of manor parks, as these facilities are providers of ecosystem services.

An uneven internationalism? West German youth and organised travel to Israel, c.1958–c.1967

ABSTRACT This article shows that organised youth mobility programmes from West Germany to Israel in the late 1950s and 1960s were a testing ground for the internationalist visions of federal state institutions, diverse organisers and various young visitors. Such programmes largely helped reproduce an uneven internationalism, which prioritised contact between West Germans and Israeli Jews, while sidelining Arabs living in Israel and stereotyping them through an Orientalist lens. However, the way in which West German subjects framed such programmes was far from fixed. Shifting Cold War dynamics led Christian Democratic youth organisations in particular to develop contacts with Arabs in the Middle East even before the Six-Day War of 1967. Moreover, some participants began to think, albeit in a fragmented manner, about the context in which the Holocaust had emerged or about individual guilt. The article adds to the emerging literature on internationalism, which explores both its benevolent aspects and its blind spots. Moreover, in studying a broad array of youth subjects – including the secular left, Protestant youth and young Christian Democrats – the article helps enrich the study of internationalism and youth in West Germany both in relation to and beyond the New Left.

Paintings Alive

To reach younger audiences, museums worldwide have incorporated interactive and hands-on activities, while some venues specialise in children as their main audience. Videos, in particular, can be easily integrated into the museum space and provide a variety of application possibilities. Their use creates a hybrid experience for the visitor in which the interaction between physical and digital elements transforms and enriches their experience of the exhibits. Furthermore, interactive technologies have been proven to increase visitor numbers and interactions on- and off-site. In this context, our practice-based research focuses on the use of interactive video technologies and factors that can lead to the design of engaging and user-friendly museum experiences for children to investigate their application through the production of a new interactive film for young museum visitors. A museum was chosen as a case study, and a survey was conducted to achieve this. The results indicated that creating an interactive video could benefit the areas that were visited less; the preferable length is relatively short, while hands-on and video installations promote and prolong the engagement of young visitors and are favoured by both younger and older children. Additionally, fictional or dramatised stories are attractive to children compared to documentaries; accessing the interactive content on their mobile devices would be preferable. These have led to the production of Paintings Alive, an interactive film for children, featuring and reenacting the paintings in the museum’s art gallery and accessible on the visitors’ mobile devices. Our article also discusses the project's findings, alongside the challenges and limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers recommendations for future work.

Making Art at Home During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Instagram, Young Visitors, and Museum Collections

This paper examines some of the ways that Canadian art museum education departments used Instagram during the COVID-19 pandemic, particularly for young virtual visitors. The author studied this use of Instagram through a visual content analysis of ten Canadian museums’ educational posts, stories and IGTV videos, using the theory of connectivism and the way learners can engage with learning opportunities outside of their physical environments. The findings from this study reveal that Instagram became instrumental in allowing museum educators to continue their mission of promoting meaningful engagement with collections for their visitors.

Audio-Visual Analysis of Visitors’ Landscape Preference for City Parks: A Case Study from Zhangzhou, China

Soundscape perception is increasingly recognized as an important part of landscape preference and environmental experience. However, few studies have juxtaposed visual landscape preference and soundscape preference to compare their contributions to overall landscape preference. This paper aims to quantify and compare the contribution of audiovisual perception to visitors’ overall park landscape preference. The landscape preferences of visitors at seven sample sites in a city park were investigated through field questionnaires in three dimensions: visual landscape, acoustic landscape, and audiovisual landscape. The results showed that visitors’ visual landscape preference (VLP = 7.53) was generally higher than soundscape preference (SP = 7.08), while the influence of auditory preference (57%) on overall landscape preference (OLP) was found to be greater than that of visual preference (43%). The ratio of audio/visual contribution to the overall landscape preference decreased as the average sound level of the sample sites increased. Of all the population characteristics, only the educational level (sig = 0.034) could be used as an effective predictor of OLP (Impact coefficient = −0.103). In addition, older visitors rated OLP lower than young visitors, and females rated OLP lower than males. It was found that visual harmony, color richness, color contrast, plant coverage, and plant diversity were the main visual landscape attributes that influenced visitors’ visual preferences, while acoustic harmony, quietness, sound vitality, and acoustic richness were the main soundscape attributes that impacts visitors’ auditory preference. The results of this study may be useful for park landscape design and regeneration.

Accessibility measurements for urban parks considering age-grouped walkers’ sectorial travel behavior and built environment

A walking-accessible urban park system is essential to the physical and mental health of urban residents. However, it is difficult to accurately describe the walking behavior of elderly and young visitors using empirical models (i.e., empirical threshold distance and empirical decay function), because of the differences in walking ability and distance decay among visitors of different ages. To address this challenge, this study used survey data to extract the travel behavior of elderly and younger visitors from a survey of 3625 walking respondents using a sectional threshold distance in central Wuhan. A multiple linear regression model was then built to discover how the factors influence the sectional threshold distance for different age groups. The results show that the travel time threshold for elderly visitors was approximately 0.47–1 min shorter than for other visitors, and the difference became more obvious for the 85th percentile of visitors’ segment travel time. The correlation analysis and regression results suggest that the surrounding built environment, such as restaurants, mostly had to a positive impact on sectional threshold distances, while park facilities were negatively correlated with the threshold distance. This consequently led to different accessibility levels for visitors by age, and elderly people presented an accessibility 0.0012 person/ha lower than young visitors. These findings provide a more accurate and refined decision-making basis for urban planners and managers to optimize park layouts.

Please Touch the Artifacts: Education and Collections Departments Co-Design an Exhibit for Family Audiences to Practice Primary Source Inquiry

ABSTRACT Pack It Up! was a fully interactive history exhibit for all ages, targeting primarily families with elementary-school-aged children. It invited visitors to work collaboratively through open-ended object inquiry and primary source analysis. Collaborative exhibit design between the education and collections departments led to an exhibit that answered these questions: 1. How can an object-based exhibit be made fully hands-on? 2. How can an exhibit support young visitors to develop empathy for people from the past?3. How can an all-ages exhibit address elementary school social studies standards?Even as highly interactive exhibits become ubiquitous, in the museum field we often see artifacts and interactives as mutually exclusive. Pack It Up! made local history accessible to a unique range of audiences and learning styles without facilitation by fusing museum education and collections pedagogies. The collaboration between the collections department and the education department led to creative solutions to exhibit challenges we saw an opportunity to address. The exhibit offered a new way to use objects to teach the processes of historical inquiry to audiences of all ages.

Paintings Alive

To reach younger audiences, museums worldwide have incorporated interactive and hands-on activities, while some venues specialise in children as their main audience. Videos, in particular, can be easily integrated in the museum space and provide a variety of application possibilities. Their use creates a hybrid experience for the visitor in which the interaction between physical and digital elements transforms and enriches their experience of the exhibits. Furthermore, the use of interactive technologies has been proven to increase visitor numbers and interactions on- and off-site. In this context, our research focuses on the use of interactive video technologies, and factors that can lead into the design of engaging and user-friendly museum experiences for children. To achieve this, a museum was chosen as a case study and a survey was conducted. The results indicated that the creation of an interactive video could benefit the areas that were visited less; the preferable length is rather short; while hands-on and video installations promote and prolong the engagement of young visitors, and are favoured by both younger and older children. Additionally, fictional or dramatised stories are attractive to children compared to documentaries; and it would be preferrable to access the interactive content on their mobile devices. These have led to the production of Paintings Alive, an interactive film for children, based on the museum’s art gallery, and accessible on the visitors’ mobile devices. Our paper also discusses the findings of the project, alongside the challenges and limitations imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic, and offers recommendations for future work.