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Peer-reviewed article

Analysis of Family Visitors in Natural History Museums: The National Museum of Natural History, Washington, D.C.

March 1, 1991 | Public Programs, Exhibitions
Museum professionals have become increasingly interested in the behavior of their visitors--why the come, what they do while in the museum, and what they take with them from the experience. Research is beginning to provide evidence for the common-sense notion that all vistiors are not alike (e.g., Diamond, 1979; Dierking et. al., in review; McManus, 1987). The two studies reported here represent attmeps to better understand the gross outlines of family behavior in natural history museums. The first is a follow-up to an earlier study suggesting that visitors' behavior is strongly influenced by how long they have been in the museum. The second concerns the interrelationship of the time they spend attending to exhibits with favors such as exhibit size, content, and location. Both studies took place in major natural history museums, the first in Washington, DC and the second in New Delhi.

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  • Science Learning, Inc.
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  • 2013 05 23 Falk headshot
    Author
    Oregon State University
  • Citation

    DOI : 10.1111/j.2151-6952.1991.tb01454.x
    Publication Name: Curator: The Museum Journal
    Volume: 34
    Number: 1
    Page Number: 44
    Resource Type: Research Products
    Discipline: Education and learning science | General STEM
    Audience: Families | Educators/Teachers | Museum/ISE Professionals | Evaluators
    Environment Type: Public Programs | Museum and Science Center Programs | Exhibitions | Museum and Science Center Exhibits

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