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| Abstracts:
Volume 12, Number 1 2007 |
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| RESEARCH | |
| The Effect of Moral and Fear Appeals on Park Visitors’ Beliefs about Feeding Wildlife Karen S. Hockett Virginia Tech Troy E. Hall University of Idaho Abstract This study tested the effectiveness of two written messages compared to a control condition in changing campers’ beliefs about feeding deer at Shenandoah National Park. Drawing on the Elaboration Likelihood Model of Persuasion, both interventions were designed to promote central route processing. One used research on hazard warnings to present a fear appeal message highlighting risks to visitors, while the other used norm activation theory to develop a moral appeal that focused on impacts to deer. Questionnaires (control n =111, moral appeal n = 115, fear appeal n = 116) assessed level of agreement with belief statements taken from the appeals as well as related statements that would indicate whether message elaboration occurred. The fear appeal increased agreement that deer could cause physical harm to people and appeared to cause elaboration on these messages, but the moral appeal did not strengthen previously held beliefs that feeding harmed the deer. Both appeals reduced self-reported frequencies of deer feeding. Women agreed more strongly with some of the moral appeal statements in all conditions, but the interventions affected men and women equally. Results suggest that fear appeals may be an effective technique for changing beliefs about feeding wildlife. An Action Research Appraisal of Visitor Center Interpretation and Change Philip L. Pearce Professor Gianna Moscardo Associate Professor Tourism Program School of Business James Cook University Townsville Qld 4814 Australia Ph.: 7 4781 5134 Fax: 61 7 4781 4019 E-mail: Philip.Pearce@jcu.edu.au Abstract This study uses an action research framework to evaluate changes to the visitor center-based interpretation of a natural environment. The context for the study is Australia’s Flinders Chase National Park, located in an isolated tourism region, namely Kangaroo Island in the state of South Australia. The island and the park are best known for the opportunities visitors have to see many forms of Australian wildlife. Surveys of over 700 visitors were conducted in 1999 and these results were used to inform the design of interpretation in a new and much larger visitor center. In 2004 further survey work with 450 visitors was conducted. The second study specifically reported on the overall effectiveness of the new center in influencing visitors’ satisfaction with the interpretation. The results demonstrate the value of action research in shaping interpretive practice. Teacher Persistence in Implementing EE: Implications for the Interpretive Community Julie Athman Ernst Assistant Professor University of Minnesota, Duluth SpHC 110, 1216 Ordean Court Duluth, MN 55812 218-726-6761 jernst@d.umn.edu Abstract There are a variety of barriers that deter teachers from using environmental education (EE), including state curriculum standards and testing, lack of funding and transportation, lack of training, and misconceptions about what EE is. Despite these barriers, some teachers persist in using EE. Because teachers and students in the formal educational setting often are a key audience for interpretive centers, it would be useful to understand teachers’ motivations for using EE and what helps them overcome barriers to integrating EE into their curriculum. Survey research was conducted with 70 K–12 teachers to investigate what they perceive as the strongest influences on their decisions to implement EE and their abilities to do so. Results indicated personal environmental literacy knowledge and skills, environmental sensitivity, and teaching context as key influences on teachers’ use of EE. Implications for the interpretive community related to providing teacher training and marketing school-based programs are discussed. |
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| IN SHORT | |
An Applied Evaluation at a Living History Museum |