AND SIGN DESIGN A Schema-Based Approach

:ASchema-BasedApproach:Publishedby::EnvironmentandBehaviorAdditionalservicesandinformationfor::::©2002SAGEPublications.Allrightsreserved.Notforcommercialuseorunauthorizeddistribution.atPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVonFebruary5,2008:AppliedExperimentalandEngineeringPsychology.TROYE.HALLisanassistantprofessorofresourcerecreationandtourismintheCollegeofNaturalResourcesattheUniversityofIdaho.ShereceivedherPh.D.infor-estresourcesfromOregonStateUniversityin1996.Herresearchinterestslieintheareasofhumandimensionsofnaturalresources,persuasivecommunications,andsurveyresearchmethods.SheisamemberoftheSocietyofAmericanForestersandtheNationalRecreationandParkAssociation.ABSTRACT:Recreationandwildernessareasarefrequentedbymillionsofvisitorseachyear.Theseenvironmentsarechargedwithprotectionandpreservationofresourceswhilesupportingvisitorinvolvementandenjoyment.Giventhesepoten-tiallycompetingdemands,thedesignofvisitorcommunicationsiscritical.Visitorcommunicationsshouldbeconsistentwithusers’cognitivecapabilitiesandexpecta-tionsabouttheorderinwhichinformationwillbepresented.Thisstudyemployedacognitiveelicitationmethodtocapturesharedschemasamongparticipantswhoexaminedinformationcommunicatedthroughasmallpanelsysteminanationalpark.Quantitativeandqualitativeresultssupporttheexistenceofcommonschemasfor479AUTHORS’NOTE:Thisresearchresultedfrompreliminaryresearchactivitiesasso-ciatedwithaNationalParkServiceprojectinconjunctionwithVirginiaPolytechnicInstituteandStateUniversityandMeekerandAssociates,Inc.ENVIRONMENTANDBEHAVIOR,Vol.34No.4,July2002479-492©2002SagePublications©2002SAGEPublications.Allrightsreserved.Notforcommercialuseorunauthorizeddistribution.atPENNSYLVANIASTATEUNIVonFebruary5,2008(PublicUseStatisticsOffice,2002).Inthatregard,theissueofvisitorsafetyandtheprotectionofnaturalresourcesinwildernessrecreationareasareaprimaryconcern.Usingasys-temssafetyapproach,wildernessrecreationareashaveseveraldifferentmethodstoenhancesystemsafety,includingstaffsuchasparkrangers,guardingdevicestoreduceexposuretovarioushazards(i.e.,guardrailsorbarriers),andcommunicationsystemstoinformandeducatevisitors(i.e.,signs,warnings,pamphlets).Becausevisitorstowildernessrecreationareasarethetargetusersofthesystem,aneffectivesystemssafetyapproachshouldincludeeffortstodesignsafetydevicesthatarecenteredontheneeds,capa-bilities,andlimitationsofusers.Thepurposeofthisstudywastoexploreuserpreferencesforinformationorderusingschematheoryandmentalmodelsprinciples.Giventhatsometypesofinformationpresentedinwildernessrec-reationareascanbeclassifiedasriskandpersuasivecommunications,thisstudysoughttodetermineeffectiveinformationordersforwildernesssignstobettersupportcommunicationforprotectionofvisitorsandpersuasion.Thehazardcontrolhierarchy(Sanders&McCormick,1993)suggeststhatapproachestosystemssafetyshouldbeginwitheffortstodesignouthazards,followedbyeffortstoguardagainsthazards.Inadditiontodesigningoutorguardingagainsthazards,warningsandinstructionsshouldbeusedtocom-municatethehazards,consequencesofhazardexposure,andinformationonhowtoavoidthehazard(Laughery,Vaubel,Young,Brelsford,&Rowe,1993;Leonard,Mathews,&Karnes,1986;Wogalter&Barlow,1990).Inaddition,Geller(1995)identifieddirectinterventionstoalterbehaviortosupportvisitorandenvironmentalprotection.Theeffectivedesignofvisitorcommunicationscombinedwitheducationandbehavioralinterventionscansupportthedualresponsibilityofvariousagenciestoprotecttheenvironmentandsupportvi