Zoo Visitor Study Report and Humans (3) FOR A ZOO VISITOR STUDY (HUMANS):
See the Workshop 2 notes (Monika Szokalski). Types of Zoo Visitor Research:
Wide and varied
Baseline studies to understand who zoo visitors are (i.e. demographic studies)
Tracking studies to understand what visitors do when they visit
Changes in visitor knowledge, attitudes, emotion and behaviour as a result of zoo visit
(general or specific; short and long-term)
The impact of different visitor experiences (e.g., viewing an exhibit versus listening to a
keeper talk)
The impact of different zoo campaigns
(a) CHOOSE AN ISSUE ABOUT ZOO VISITORS THAT IS OF INTEREST TO YOU
Zoo visitors have an influence on the animals at the zoo, but the zoo experience itself can influence
visitors (e.g. attitudes, knowledge, behaviour).
Possible issues include:
Visitor behaviour:
Time spent at enclosure(s) or reading signage
Number of coins thrown at crocodiles (or items thrown into enclosures)
Route taken around the zoo
Surveys of visitor attitudes, knowledge, behaviour
Satisfaction, likes/dislikes
Effect of visit or an experience (e.g. behind-scenes tour or keeper talk) on knowledge
about the species/issue, attitudes towards species/issue and conservation-based behaviors
(b) DECIDE WHO YOUR PARTICIPANTS WOULD BE & WHERE YOU WOULD
COLLECT DATA
Sketch or ?map? the ideal location where you would collect data from your human participants (surveys: self-report questionnaires, interviews OR observations of behaviour)
