From Interpretation to Protection: Is There a Theoretical Basis?

Abstract

Perhaps the most oft-cited phrase in all the interpretation literature is a sentence written by an anonymous U.S. National Park Service ranger in an obscure administrative manual a half century ago: Through interpretation, understanding; through understanding, appreciation; through appreciation, protection. When Freeman Tilden quoted the manual in Interpreting Our Heritage, little did he know that those few words would evolve into a philosophical orientation around which interpreters all across the globe would soon rally. In this article, Tilden's claim is reexamined in light of contemporary cognitive and social psychology. Does the chain of events Tilden describes really stand up, or is it just a nice, warm, and fuzzy phrase? Is there a substantiated theoretical basis for claiming that “interpretation” can create a kind of “understanding” that would indeed lead people to “protect” the places they visit? According to the weight of evidence from cognitive science, the answer is yes.