User-specific presentation of knowledge with conflicting evidence in museums

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The underlying objective of the overall research project has been to investigate the influence of both situational and personal factors on the conflict processing of museum visitors and to look into ways these factors may interact. This objective will be maintained in the third proposal phase. In a first step of this final project phase, we aim to expand on the analysis of previously carried out studies and reinforce ties between them. To this end, we aim to further analyze data that were additionally collected during the second funding period. The following extended data analyses are planned: (1) A comparison of visitor profiles based on the four data sets obtained in three funding periods. (2) An analysis of correlations between conflict processing and changes in a visitors standpoint on a conflicting topic (biomimicry). (3) An investigation into the moderating effects of additionally collected data on personal factors on visitors conflict processing, taking into account potential effects of different alterations of conflict salience. Conflict salience was manipulated in terms of the spatio-temporal microstructure of the text (object-oriented vs. aspect-oriented text organization), by including comparative organizers and by using different presentation media (audio versus visual). In a second step of this project phase, we will conduct an experimental field study. On the one hand, this field study serves to investigate the moderating effect of varying visitor agendas on the processing of conflicting information and, on the other hand, it serves to study the relationship between visitor agendas and personal characteristics relevant for conflict processing. Visitor agendas are an important research focus in visitor studies, whereas the personal characteristics that we have thus far included in our studies are predominantly discussed in the field of cognitive psychology. Results of this field study will therefore help bridge the gap between museum studies and studies in cognitive psychology and will be of interest to researchers in both fields. Finally, this study provides a theoretical and empirical basis for the development of suitable exhibit concepts and, as a result, has an added value for a broad range of museum professionals.