The Devil Made Me Do It: Influence of Values on Interpretation and Behaviors for Tasmanian Devils

Abstract

Zoos are becoming more intentional about embedding messaging in their interpretation to promote pro-conservation behaviors, essentially acting as agents of social change. Values theory suggests that, be effective, interpretation including these pro-conservation messages needs to broadly align with visitors’ values. Using the Schwartz value system, this study modeled the relationships between visitors’ values, perceptions of interpretation, emotional connectivity to Tasmanian Devils, and behavioral intent, including a comparison of different types of on-site and post-visit pro-conservation behaviors. Most visitors held moderate to strong conservation values, which were predictive of positive perceptions of interpretation, emotional connectivity, and pro-conservation behaviors. However, the results suggest that while visitors’ values align with their perceptions of interpretation, they are only weak predictors of behavioral intent. Visitors’ perceptions of interpretation and behavioral intent aligned more strongly with emotional connectivity than with their values. Overall, behavioral intentions were low for all pro-conservation behaviors. Liking a Facebook post about the conservation of Tasmanian Devils was the behavior most likely to be performed.

Taking Stock of Interpretation Research: Where Have We Been and Where are We Heading?

“…Twelve manuscripts examined characteristics of visitors/audiences, such as demographic characteristics; visitor values, attitudes, movement patterns, behavioral intentions, and crowding perceptions; and visitation trends relevant to interpretive sites rather than investigating specific interpretive elements. Key insights shared in these manuscripts include how visitors of different cultural backgrounds might have different goals and experiences at interpretive sites (Clark et al, 2011;Saunders, 2014) or perceive crowding differently (Lee et al, 2019); how visitors' pre-existing attitudes, values, emotions, and perceptions of self-efficacy can influence their perceptions of interpretation (e.g., Caplow, 2018), particularly related to leave-no-trace behaviors (Lawhon et al, 2013(Lawhon et al, , 2017Skibins et al, 2019); and how tracking visitor movements through an interpretive site can enhance interpretive planning (Sharp et al, 2019).…”

Shark Dive and Hologram Zoo: Two Case Studies of Virtual Animal Encounters as Possible Models for Sustainable Wildlife Tourism

“…When addressing the second research question, this study confirms Shark Dive does aid conservation awareness and contributes to the improvement of human interactions with animals and nature. It employs a form of interpretation [ 15 ] common to wildlife tourism via the narrator, who speaks to us throughout the shark encounter about sharks and human relations with them. The narrator prompts us to consider human impact upon sharks and the viability of shark cage-diving in the future.…”

“…Per year, approximately 700 million people visit accredited zoos and aquaria worldwide and spend, on average, four hours onsite [ 14 , 15 ]. Zoo tourism is a popular family entertainment, bringing people in close contact with an array of wild but confined animals; reportedly, 100 million of them held captive internationally [ 16 ].…”

“…The focus on conservation and the responsibility of zoos to raise awareness, connect people to nature, and encourage sustainable behaviours [ 20 , 21 ] has continued into the 21st century, with some promoting themselves as a safe refuge for injured animals [ 22 ] as part of this overall conservation objective. As part of the conservation education commitment by zoos, onsite interpretation is employed to inform visitors about “animals, habitats and conservation issues” [ 12 ] (p. 182) with the view to “connecting (humans) emotionally and cognitively to animals” [ 15 ] (p. 64). Increased understanding and advocacy are thought possible when there is plenty of information provided by onsite interpretation [ 15 ], along with time for self-reflection included in the experience [ 3 ].…”

“…As part of the conservation education commitment by zoos, onsite interpretation is employed to inform visitors about “animals, habitats and conservation issues” [ 12 ] (p. 182) with the view to “connecting (humans) emotionally and cognitively to animals” [ 15 ] (p. 64). Increased understanding and advocacy are thought possible when there is plenty of information provided by onsite interpretation [ 15 ], along with time for self-reflection included in the experience [ 3 ].…”