Using Identity‐Related Visit Motivations as a Tool for Understanding Adult Zoo and Aquarium Visitors' Meaning‐Making

Abstract

Considerable time and effort have been invested in understanding the motivations of museum visitors. Many investigators have sought to describe why people visit museums, resulting in a range of descriptive categorizations. 1 Recently, investigators have begun to document the connections between visitors' entering motivations and their exiting learning. 2 Doering and Pekarik have proposed starting with the idea that visitors are likely to enter a museum with an "entry narrative" (1996; see also Pekarik, Doering and Karns 1999). Doering and Pekarik argue that these entry narratives are likely to be self-reinforcing, directing both learning and behavior, since visitors' perceptions of satisfaction will be directly related to experiences that resonate with their entering narrative. Falk took these ideas one step further and proposed that-although people have diverse reasons for choosing to visit museums-these diverse reasons tended to cluster around a relatively small number of motivational categories (2006). These categories appeared to be related to visitors' desires to use the museum for fulfilling identity-related needs. Each of us assumes many identities over the course of our life. Some of our identities are enduring and long-lasting; others are more ephemeral and situation-specific; all help us navigate through the complexities of life.

A Theoretical Positioning of Self and Social Identities as Antecedents in Cultural-Experiential Tourism

“…Falk (2006), Falk et al (2008), Taheri et al (2014), Chan and Goldthorpe (2005) Reflective motivation…”

“…It is our view that any ensuing empirical research to ascertain the veracity of constructs and their relationships in the proposed imb model (Figure 1) should employ a mixed method approach, and should include Falk et al (2008), Falk (1998Falk ( , 2006, Biddle et al (1987), Sparks and Shepherd (1992) Social identity The omnivore cultural consumer with which stratification is done based upon a broad range of cultural consumption, rather than only the popular culture. Typified by an initial two types of identity-based visitors: facilitators, experience seekers.…”

“…Bronfenbrenner (1979); Abratt and Kleyn (2012) also state that identity is shaped as a result of the confluence of internal and external social forces. The inseparability of the two is further highlighted by Falk, Heimlich, and Bronnenkant (2008), who stress that identities are malleable and continually constructed, that they are situated in the physical and socio-cultural world, and that each of us maintains numerous identities. Falk et al (2008) propose that there are great and enduring identities that are innate -which we refer here as the self-identity.…”

“…The inseparability of the two is further highlighted by Falk, Heimlich, and Bronnenkant (2008), who stress that identities are malleable and continually constructed, that they are situated in the physical and socio-cultural world, and that each of us maintains numerous identities. Falk et al (2008) propose that there are great and enduring identities that are innate -which we refer here as the self-identity. The authors refer to the identities that respond to the needs and realities of specific moments and situations as little 'I' identities, or situated identities.…”

Using tourism free‐choice learning experiences to promote environmentally sustainable behaviour: the role of post‐visit ‘action resources’

“…Packer and Ballantyne (2004) argue that learning and discovery are an integral part of the experience offered in such settings and that they are likely to enhance rather than detract from the experience (Packer, 2006). 2009;Falk, Heimlich and Bronnenkant, 2008) suggest that visitors to free-choice learning experiences such as museums, zoos and aquariums enact one or more 'identities' during their visit, that characterize their motivations for a particular visit on a particular day. Common identities are the 'explorers' who visit out of curiosity, or a general interest in discovering more about the subject and the 'facilitators' who visit in order to satisfy the needs and desires of someone they care about, particularly their children.…”