interpretation

t r o y e. h a l l , s a m h. h a m , b r e n d a k. l a c k e y
relatively low holding power. Furthermore, the standard park message fared nearly as
well as some of the newer signs, although this could be due to the attention-grabbing
bright yellow color used on all treatments. However, in Yosemite, where high repeat
visitation produces an audience that is highly familiar with the bear issue, it is unclear
just how much can and should be expected of signs.
Importance of Location
It is rare for studies to test the same messages in different locations. If we had tested
our signs in only one location, we would have been misled about the ability of most of
the signs to attract and hold attention. Although My Bear Story and Attention Humans
performed similarly, relative to the other signs, in each location, Leave it in the Locker
and the Park Message generated quite variable responses across locations. While there
are probably many reasons for the differences in performance, the different types and
motivations of visitors at different locations are likely to be important. Our results
suggest that the influence of message vividness on visitor attention-paying is likely to
be mediated by sign location. A sign that is relatively attention grabbing in one location
might well be largely ignored in another.
For instance, Leave it in the Locker was ignored by 57% of campers and 69% of
Curry Village respondents, but only 18% of hikers. Campers were more familiar with
the park and had seen many such messages around the campground (information is
distributed at the campground entrance). Indeed, campers were most likely to ignore
all of the signs. At Curry Village, this sign was placed in a location where visitors would
encounter it after having just gone through registration and check-in where they were
exposed to many bear-related messages, and they may have been in a state of mind that
they were adequately prepared. Furthermore, the need for lockers is largely irrelevant
to those staying in developed accommodations. Hikers, on the other hand, would
have been less likely to have seen this particular message, and the idea of a “locker” at
the trailhead might have been novel to many of them. Moreover, hikers are probably
accustomed to think that a sign placed 100 yards up the trail contains information of
importance to hikers, whereas the types of information posted around campgrounds
and lodging could be expected to address many different topics and audiences.
Not only did the signs vary in attention capture across locations, but the
percentage of people who noticed the signs and spent time reading varied as well.
Although campers tended to ignore signs, among those who did not ignore them, 62%
read for more than two seconds. On the other hand, at the Wilderness Trailhead and
Curry Village, the percentage of those noticing the signs that spent more than two
seconds was only 32% and 38%, respectively. Thus, in the campground the difficulty is
capturing attention in the first place, but people who are loitering are willing to spend
the time to read. On the other hand, in the other locations people may be in more of a
hurry, and the difficulty is sustaining attention. Very brief, clear messages are needed in
those locations. The highly variable attracting power and holding times for the different
messages across locations suggests resource managers need to attend closely to audience
and site characteristics if they expect to communicate effectively with signs.
Conclusion and Implications
An overarching conclusion from this study is that our understanding of what constitutes
“vividness” in communication needs sharpening. A straightforward factual message
32 j o u r n a l o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n r e s e a r c h