I EVALUATING ZOO DESIGN THE IMPORTANCE OF VISITOR STUDIES A thesis presented by Monika Ebenhöh at the Universität für Bodenkultur Institut für Wildbiologie und Jagdwirtschaft Gregor Mendelstraße 33 A-1180 Vienna Appraisal by O.Univ.Prof.Dr.rer.nat. Hartmut Gossow Vienna, July 1992 II PREFACE TO THE SECOND EDITION "A good zoo looks like a nice park, even without animals." (Wolfgang Salzert, 2003) Many things have changed since I wrote this book and many have not. I got married and changed my name to the short and easy Fiby. I became involved in zoo design, particularly by developing and managing the ZooLex website. The internet has evolved into a fascinating medium for spreading information quickly at low cost. With the support of my husband, Hans Fiby, I was able to establish ZooLex as a prime source on zoo design. Visitor studies have always been an important tool in zoo design. The techniques described in this book have evolved over decades and are tried and tested. Thus, this little book has been a valuable resource for many people and has become even better known through ZooLex. The first edition was soon out of stock. I wish to thank Dr. Wolfgang Salzert, former director of Zoo Rheine in Germany, for spreading the word about this book and for encouraging me to print a second edition. I also wish to thank Monika Lange who revised and edited the text. Without these two wonderful persons, the text of this book would still await retrieval from some outdated storage medium and for conversion from an outdated word processing program. It probably would have been lost to reproduction at some point. When I worked on my thesis in 1991, my perspective was that of an educated Western European zoo visitor. After 15 years of experience with the global zoo industry, I would venture to say that the techniques described in this book are valid for zoos worldwide. Results of specific local surveys cannot be automatically and arbitrarily transfered to other places, but serve as examples of what is most relevant to investigate in the zoo environment. But it was not only my name that changed. AAZPA also changed its name to AZA (American Zoo Association). IUDZG changed its name to WZO and then to WAZA (World Association of Zoos and Aquariums). Zoos' and aquariums' tasks however have not changed. The combination of recreation, conservation, education and research comprise the unique potential of these organizations. I hope that readers who are involved in improving zoos and aquariums will find this book a helpful resource. If you have any comments and requests you are most welcome to contact the author. A glossary of technical terms used in this book can be found on www.zoolex.org. Monika Fiby Diplomingenieur and Master of Landscape Architecture Sobieskigasse 9/12 1090 Vienna, Austria Phone, Fax: +43-1-3101060 [email protected] Vienna, July 2007 III PREFACE "As a designer, I am extremely aware, that most design decisions are either based upon tradition, personal or anecdotal experience or intuition." (Jon Charles Coe, 1989) ACKNOWLEDGEMENT I am indebted to the Chicago Zoological Society, Illinois, for using Brookfield Zoo and its library as a research field, Ms. Barbara Birney, Ph.D., Visitor Research and Exhibit Evaluation Department at Brookfield Zoo, Chicago, and Mr. Jon Charles Coe, Landscape Architect and Principal of Coe Lee Robinson Roesch, Inc., Philadelphia, for their valuable support and for examplifying to me the many different aspects of zoo design. I wish to thank Mr. Hermann Schacht, O.Univ.Prof.DI, Institut für Landschaftsgestaltung und Gartenkunst, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, who encouraged me to choose planning and design of zoological parks as a topic for my thesis and Mr. Hartmut Gossow, O.Univ.Prof.Dr., Institut für Wildbiologie, Universität für Bodenkultur, Wien, for his guidance. I also wish to thank the Österreichisches Bundesministerium für Wissenschaft und Forschung which enabled me to study in the United States for four months by granting a scholarship. Vienna, July 1992 IV ABSTRACT By evaluating zoo design these theses not just consider visual outcomes of design decisions made by architects, landscape planners or designers because these depend on given resources and policies within the zoos' managements. Thus they discuss the underlying ideas of what tasks zoos are supposed to have and examine how these tasks may be fulfilled. The emphasis of these theses is dealing with visitor studies for several reasons: 1. Visitor studies are an important feedback for the planning and designing of zoos and similar institutions. 2. It is a relatively new field of research in zoos. 3. They are completed on a systematic basis and evolving into a new science in the United States. 4. It seems to be useful to engage more in this field in Europe. For researchers typical questions of concern are: ¾ Who is the zoo audience? ¾ How are people reacting to exhibits? ¾ How are they orienting? ¾ What do people learn at the zoo? Examples of visitor studies carried out at zoos or similar institutions in the United States illustrate their importance for decision making in zoo management and design and show ongoing trends in zoos. V ZUSAMMENFASSUNG Das Thema dieser Diplomarbeit ist die Erfolgskontrolle in der Zooplanung. Berücksichtigt werden nicht nur die sichtbaren Ergebnisse der Planungsentscheidungen von Architekten, Landschaftsplanern oder Designern, da diese von verfügbaren Ressourcen und Management- entscheidungen der Zoos abhängen. Es werden auch die grundsätzlichen Aufgaben des Zoos diskutiert und Wege, wie diese zu erfüllen wären. In den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika wird zu diesem Zweck das Instrument der Besucher- studien in Zoos eingesetzt. Besucherstudien bilden aus mehreren Gründen den Schwerpunkt dieser Arbeit: 1. Sie stellen ein wichtiges Feedback für die Planung dar. 2. Es handelt sich um ein relativ junges Forschungsgebiet in Zoos. 3. Besucherstudien werden in den Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika systematisch durchgeführt und entwickeln sich zu einer eigenen Wissenschaft. 4. Es scheint ein Aufholbedarf auf diesem Gebiet in Europa zu bestehen. Typische Fragestellungen von Besucherstudien sind beispielsweise: ¾ Wer ist das Zoopublikum? ¾ Wie reagieren Zoobesucher auf die Exponate? ¾ Wie orientieren sich Zoobesucher? ¾ Was lernen Besucher in einem Zoo? Ausgewählte Beispiele aus der Praxis in Zoos und ähnlichen Institutionen der Vereinigten Staaten sollen die Bedeutung von Besucherstudien für Management- und Design- Entscheidungen zeigen und Trends in der Zooplanung veranschaulichen. VI TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. Introduction 1 2. Tasks of a zoo 4 2.1 Recreation 5 2.2 Education 5 2.3 Research 6 2.4 Conservation 7 2.4.1 Facts 7 2.4.2 Opinions 8 2.4.3 Conclusive Vision 9 3. Research in zoos 11 3.1 Aims and methods 11 3.1.1 Goal-free and goal-referenced research 11 3.1.2 Formal and informal research 11 3.1.3 Direct and indirect observation, self-report 12 3.1.4 Dependent and independent variables 14 3.1.5 Reliability 14 3.1.6 Validity 14 3.1.7 Attracting power 14 3.1.8 Holding power 15 3.2 Visitor studies 15 3.2.1 Purposes 15 3.2.2 "State-of-art" 15 3.3 Descriptive studies 16 3.3.1 Definition 16 3.3.2 Application 16 3.4 Evaluative studies 17 3.4.1 Definition 17 3.4.1.1 Front-end evaluation 17 3.4.1.2 Formative evaluation 17 3.4.1.3 Summative evaluation 18 3.4.1.4 Remedial evaluation 18 3.4.2 Application 19 3.5 Predictive studies 20 3.5.1 Definition 20 3.5.2 Application 20 3.5.3 Example 21 VII 4. Learning in informal settings 23 4.1 Definition, characterization 23 4.2 How does one learn in an informal setting 23 4.2.1 Stimulus 24 4.2.2 Perception 25 4.2.3 Motivation 26 4.2.4 Distraction 27 4.2.5 Attention 27 4.2.6 Curiosity 27 4.2.7 Concreteness 28 4.2.8 Memory 29 4.2.9 Attitude 29 4.2.10 Behavior 30 4.3 Individual differences 32 4.4 Learning devices in zoos 32 4.4.1 Non-participatory learning devices 32 4.4.2 Participatory learning devices 33 4.4.2.1 Interactives 33 4.4.2.2 Docents 35 4.4.2.3 Programs 37 4.4.2.4 Self-scoring response systems 37 4.4.2.5 Evaluation 37 4.5 What can one learn in informal settings 38 4.5.1 Hierarchy of learning 38 4.5.1.1 Signal learning, conditioning 38 4.5.1.2 Operant learning 39 4.5.1.3 Discrimination 39 4.5.1.4 Concept learning 39 4.5.1.5 Rule learning 39 4.5.1.6 Problem learning 39 4.5.2 Problem solving 40 4.5.3 Facilitations and limitations to learning in zoo settings 40 4.5.4 Socialization 45 5. Zoo visitors 46 5.1 Demographics 47 5.1.1 Group composition 47 5.1.2 Age 47 5.1.3 Sex 49 5.1.4 Residence 50 5.1.5 Education 51 5.1.6 Frequency of zoo visit 51 5.1.7 Duration of zoo visit 52 5.1.8 Membership 53 5.2 Needs 53 5.2.1 Physiological needs 54 5.2.2 Safety needs 54 5.2.3 Social needs 54 5.2.4 Esteem needs 55 VIII 5.2.5 Arousal 55 5.2.6 Experiental needs 55 5.3 Perception 56 5.3.1. Perceptions, misconceptions, knowledge 56 5.3.2 Zoo related attitudes of various constituencies 68 5.4 Motivations related to zoos 62 5.4.1 Zoo visit 62 5.4.2 Attention to exhibits 62 5.4.3 Action 63 5.5 Behaviors 63 5.5.1 Spatial patterns 64 5.5.2 Temporal patterns 64 5.5.3 Behavioral patterns 67 5.5.4 Influencing factors 69 6.