对展览中观众角色的探讨:以“美国人生活中的科学”展览为例

Visitors' role in an exhibition debate: "Science in American Life"

"美国人生活中的科学"展览在美国国家历史博物馆举办后,招致了美国化学学会和美国物理学会对其的批判。他们认为,这个展览使公众对科学产生了负面的印象,并要求史密森尼学会进行一项调查,以确定展览是否影响了观众的科学认知,又将观众引向了何方?通过入口调查和出口调查,最终得出结论:观众进入展厅时若对科学的认知是积极的,那么这种经验便会在参观过程中得以强化和证实,而非完全改变。

In the year after the exhibition ＂Science in American Life＂ opened at the National Museum of American History objections were raised by the exhibition＇s chief sponsor, the American Chemical Society, and by the American Physical Society. These critics argued that the exhibition gave the public a negative view of science. The Institutional Studies Office was asked to conduct a study to determine whether or not the exhibition was affecting visitors＇ views of science, and, if so, in what direction. Using an entrance/exit survey design, the study determined conclusively that the visiting public entered the exhibition with a very positive view of science and technology and that their views were reinforced and confirmed by the experience of ＂Science in American Life＂, rather than changed in either a positive or negative direction.