In this article, Steven D. Moore, Ph.D. discusses the history of wilderness recreation research, based on carrying capacities and crowd expectations, and more recent approaches which rely on normative theories of human behavior. Moore discusses other research efforts to better understand the dimensions of wilderness recreation behavior and experiences.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Steven D. Moore, Ph.D.Visitor Studies Association
In this article, Thomas A. More of the U.S. Forest Service presents a review and discussion of current research on the benefits of urban parks. More also discusses the issues of fairness in the distribution of these benefits (i.e. the less affluent receive fewer services and servies of lesser quality).
In this article, Ohio State University's John L. Heywood discusses the study of outdoor recreation and the challenges of the emerging field. Heywood also describes some of the factors and conditions that influence behavior in outdoor recreation.
In this article, Ohio State University's John L. Heywood shares a selected bibliography of books for professionals interested in learning more about leisure studies.
In this article, Marilyn Hood, Ph.D. of Hood Associates investigates the public's perception of museums. Hood examines about 200 clippings that mention the word "museum" and sorts these clippings under four main topics: (1) something is deficient/unworthy/to be avoided because it is a museum; (2) something is positive/worthwhile/beneficial because it is not a museum; (3) generally uncomplimentary references; and (4) generally complimentary invocations.
In this article, VSA President Harris Shettel examines some of the issues that are relevant to the continued growth and development of the field of visitor studies. Shettel presents these issues in the form of questions and shares his answers about the status of exhibit evaluation, the flaws of traditional visitor evaluation, etc.
In this article, Marilyn G. Hood, of Hood Associates, discusses major issues in the field of museum audience research. Hood explains how much of her work has focused on two specific aspects: (1) probing the psychographic dimensions of current and potential audiences and (2) determining why people are not at the museum.
This article discusses a 1988-1990 study that analyzed the effectiveness of a collaborative effort between a museum and a school system to build an integrated curriculum package. The partners included the York County School System (VA) and the Yorktown Victory Center (operated by the Jamestown-Yorktown Foundation). The theme of the curriculum was 18th Century Medicine and the unit was designed to enhance the science, math, and social studies instruction of fourth graders.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
Ronald GieseJudy Davis-DorseyJoseph Gutierrez
In this article, Lynne M. Westphal of the USDA Forest Service, North Central Forest Experiment Station, outlines discussions exploring the interactions between plant communities and people communities at a November 1992 symposium. The symposium aimed to assess current knowledge about the active involvement of people with plants and to clarify research needs that will lead to improved program management and information delivery.
In this article, Marilyn G. Hood, Ph.D., of Hood Associates, discusses two year-long studies at major outdoor settings, which offer insights into the reasons why people choose to visit botanical gardens and arboretums and what they enjoy about these visits. Hood summarizes methods and key findings from theses four-season studies, which were conducted in 1987 at the Holden Arboretum (Mentor, Ohio) and in 1989 at the Chicago Botanic Garden (Glencoe, IL).
This article summarizes an evaluation report discussed in a 1982 article in the "Journal of Educational Research." The study was a series by J. Falk and colleagues that examined children's experiences on school field trips, especially the effects of novel environments. The attitudes, behavior, and learning of third and fifth graders were compared in two environments: (1) a field trip to a nature center to learn about tree biology and (2) the same lesson given at school outside the students' classroom.
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TEAM MEMBERS:
John H FalkJ. BallingVisitor Studies Association
In this article, Marilyn G. Hood, Ph.D., of Hood Associates, discusses African-American attendance and non-attendance at art museums. Hood presents findings from focus groups and individual interviews used to better understand African-American feelings about and perceptions of art museums, which she divides into internal dimensions and external dimensions.