Family visits to a biodiversity exhibit: An analysis of emotional responses during free visits and visits mediated by explainers

Abstract

In this study, we analyse the role of emotion in the context of informal science education experiences, specifically seeking to understand: (a) which emotions can be stimulated in families visiting interactive expositions, and (b) the extent to which parents/caregivers and museum explainers engage the children's emotional expressiveness. To this end, a protocol based on the core affect model was employed to examine the visits of 10 family groups (26 individuals) who visited an exhibit on biodiversity in a science museum in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Five families went on free visits and the other five had their visits mediated by explainers. We observed that, in general, positive emotions, such as excitement and surprise, were among those most often expressed. Negative emotions, such as disagreement and doubt, also stood out in this study, but they were not exclusively associated with the negative aspects of the experience, and were instead linked to challenging moments that facilitated the construction of meaning by the families. The data suggest that visits mediated by explainers occasioned more frequent emotional displays than free visits, indicating the importance of explainers in families’ interactions and emotional responses.