Do zoos and aquariums promote attitude change in visitors? A critical evaluation of the american zoo and aquarium study
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2010 |
Authors: |
Lori Marino, Scott O. Lilienfeld, Randy Malamud, Nathan Nobis, Ron Broglio |
Publication/Journal: |
Society and Animals |
Keywords: |
aquarium, attitude, conservation, education, marine park, methodology, validity, zoos |
ISBN: |
10631119 15685306 |
Abstract:
Modern-day zoos and aquariums market themselves as places of education and conservation. A recent study conducted by the American Zoo and Aquarium Association (AZA) (Falk et al., 2007) is being widely heralded as the fi rst direct evidence that visits to zoos and aquariums produce long-term positive eff ects on people’s attitudes toward other animals. In this paper, we address whether this conclusion is warranted by analyzing the study’s methodological soundness. We conclude that Falk et al. (2007) contains at least six major threats to methodological validity that undermine the authors’ conclusions. Th ere remains no compelling evidence for the claim that zoos and aquariums promote attitude change, education, or interest in conservation in visitors, although further investigation of this possibility using methodologically sophisticated designs is warranted.