10.2190/C82H-885M-U8R7-YJK4 C82H885MU8R7YJK4 3 Spatial and Conceptual Aspects of Orientation: Visitor Experiences at an Outdoor History Museum 317 332 20020509 20020509 20020509 20020509 C82H885MU8R7YJK4.pdf http://baywood.metapress.com/link.asp?target=contribution&id=C82H885MU8R7YJK4 4 D. Geoffrey Hayward Mary L. Brydon-Miller University of Massachusetts The processes of perceiving and understanding an environment are complex and multidimensional. However, there are significant benefits to be gained by understanding these processes, and relating them to the planning, design, and management of particular settings. The research reported here is part of a broader effort in the field of environmental psychology to investigate how people perceive and make use of environments, and how their image of an environment is formed [1-3]. It is also an example of the practical application of social science research in evaluation and planning for historic sites and museums. W. H. Ittleson, Environment Perception and Contemporary Perceptual Theory, in <i>Environment and Cognition</i>, W. H. Ittelson (ed.), Seminar Press, New York, 1973. G. T. Moore, Knowing about Environmental Knowing: The Current State of Theory and Research on Environmental Cognition, <i>Environment and Behavior, 11</i>, pp. 33-70, 1979. W. H. Weitzer, <i>Research on Environmental Images: The Perception and Use of Urban Parks</i>, doctoral dissertation in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 1981. J. D. Balling, R. Aronson, and J. H. Falk, Pre-Trip Programs: An Exploration of their Effects on Learning from a Single-Visit Field Trip to a Zoological Park, Office of Educational Research, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C. R. J. Loomis and M. B. Parsons, Orientation Needs and the Library Setting, in <i>Sign Systems for Libraries</i>, D. Pollet and P. Haskell (eds.), pp. 3-15, Bowker, New York, 1979. Royal Ontario Museum, <i>Communicating with the Museum Visitor: Guidelines for Planning</i>, Royal Ontario Museum, April 1976. E. H. Zube, J. Crystal, and J. F. Palmer, <i>Visitor Center Design Evaluation</i>, National Park Service, Denver, Colorado, 1976. G. H. Winkel, R. V. Olsen, F. Wheeler, and M. S. Cohen, <i>The Museum Visitor and Orientation Media: An Experimental Comparison of Different Approaches in the Smithsonian Institution, National Museum of History and Technology</i>, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D. C., 1975. M. S. Cohen, "The State of the Art of Museum Visitor Orientation: A Survey of Selected Institutions," Smithsonian Institution, Office of Museum Programs, Washington, D. C., April, 1974. J. A. Wagar, The Recording Quizboard: A Device for Evaluating Interpretive Services, USDA Forest Service Research Paper No. PNW-139, 1972. C G. Screven, A Bibliography on Visitor Education Research, <i>Museum News, 57</i>:4, pp. 56-59, 1979. B. D. Mahaffey, Effectiveness and Preference for Selected Interpretive Media, <i>Journal of Environmental Education, 1</i>:4, pp. 125-128, 1970. J. A. Wagar, Cassette Tapes for Interpretation, USDA Forest Service Research Paper No. PNW-207, 1976. M. E. More, <i>The Effect of Interpretation on Visitor Learning and Activity Choices in Natural Areas</i>, unpublished doctoral dissertation, University of Massachusetts, Department of Forestry, 1978. J. Larkin, Interim Center Village Research Report, Old Sturbridge Village, (xerox), 1978. D. G. Hayward and J. W. Larkin, Evaluating Visitor Experiences and Exhibit Effectiveness at Old Sturbridge Village, <i>Museum Studies Journal, 1</i>:2, pp. 42-51, 1983. D. G. Hayward and A. D. Jensen, Enhancing a Sense of the Past: Perceptions of Visitors and Interpreters, <i>The Interpreter, 12</i>:2, pp. 4-12, 1981. M. L. Brydon-Miller, An Evaluation of the Impact of Visitor Orientation Procedures at Old Sturbridge Village, Masters Thesis in Psychology, University of Massachusetts, 1980. H. A. Parker, W. B. Gudykunst, W. I. Kantor, and J. A. Morra, Leisure Activities of Non-Visitors, Visitors and Friends of Old Sturbridge Village: A Preliminary Report, University of Hartford, Institute for Social Research, unpublished manuscript, 29 pp., 1978. R. F. Washburne and J. A. Wagar, Evaluating Visitor Response to Exhibit Content, <i>Curator, 15</i>:3, pp. 248-254, 1972. Wayfinding and Orientation by the Visually Impaired