Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective
Science centers and science museums have an important social role in engaging people with science and technology relevant for complex societal problems—so called wicked problems. We used the case of personalized medicine to illustrate a methodology that can be used to inform the development of exhib...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-02-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Psychology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113019/full |
| _version_ | 1811166926923104256 |
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| author | Rooske K. Franse Rooske K. Franse Maien S. M. Sachisthal Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers |
| author_facet | Rooske K. Franse Rooske K. Franse Maien S. M. Sachisthal Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers |
| author_sort | Rooske K. Franse |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Science centers and science museums have an important social role in engaging people with science and technology relevant for complex societal problems—so called wicked problems. We used the case of personalized medicine to illustrate a methodology that can be used to inform the development of exhibitions on such wicked problems. The methodology that is presented is grounded in dynamic theories of interest development that define interest as a multidimensional construct involving knowledge, behavior (personal and general) value, self-efficacy, and emotion. The methodology uses a mixed method design that is able to (1) study the predictive effects of background variables on interest, (2) study the interest dimensions predicting individual interest, and (3) identify the most influential interest dimensions. We set up focus groups (N = 16, age = 20–74, low SES) to design a survey study (N = 341, age 19–89 years olds with a broad range of SES) about people’s interest in personalized medicine. Results of a network analysis of the survey data show that despite the variety in emotions and knowledge about subtopics, these dimensions do not play a central role in the multidimensional interest construct. In contrast, general value and behavior (related to understanding scientific research) seem to be interesting candidates for eliciting situational interest that could have an effect on the more long term individual interest. These results are specific for the case of personalized medicine. We discuss ways in which results of studies with the presented methodology might be useful for exhibition development. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:00:32Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-8fe943d8042b4967b68ef8a0bdc53da2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1664-1078 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T16:00:32Z |
| publishDate | 2023-02-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Psychology |
| spelling | doaj.art-8fe943d8042b4967b68ef8a0bdc53da22023-02-10T13:30:30ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Psychology1664-10782023-02-011410.3389/fpsyg.2023.11130191113019Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspectiveRooske K. Franse0Rooske K. Franse1Maien S. M. Sachisthal2Maartje E. J. Raijmakers3Maartje E. J. Raijmakers4Maartje E. J. Raijmakers5Department of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsNEMO Science Museum, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsDepartment of Psychology, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, NetherlandsNEMO Science Museum, Amsterdam, NetherlandsEducational Studies and Learn, Free University, Amsterdam, NetherlandsScience centers and science museums have an important social role in engaging people with science and technology relevant for complex societal problems—so called wicked problems. We used the case of personalized medicine to illustrate a methodology that can be used to inform the development of exhibitions on such wicked problems. The methodology that is presented is grounded in dynamic theories of interest development that define interest as a multidimensional construct involving knowledge, behavior (personal and general) value, self-efficacy, and emotion. The methodology uses a mixed method design that is able to (1) study the predictive effects of background variables on interest, (2) study the interest dimensions predicting individual interest, and (3) identify the most influential interest dimensions. We set up focus groups (N = 16, age = 20–74, low SES) to design a survey study (N = 341, age 19–89 years olds with a broad range of SES) about people’s interest in personalized medicine. Results of a network analysis of the survey data show that despite the variety in emotions and knowledge about subtopics, these dimensions do not play a central role in the multidimensional interest construct. In contrast, general value and behavior (related to understanding scientific research) seem to be interesting candidates for eliciting situational interest that could have an effect on the more long term individual interest. These results are specific for the case of personalized medicine. We discuss ways in which results of studies with the presented methodology might be useful for exhibition development.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113019/fullinformal STEM learningindividual interestwicked problemsnetwork analysisvisitor studies |
| spellingShingle | Rooske K. Franse Rooske K. Franse Maien S. M. Sachisthal Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Maartje E. J. Raijmakers Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective Frontiers in Psychology informal STEM learning individual interest wicked problems network analysis visitor studies |
| title | Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| title_full | Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| title_fullStr | Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| title_short | Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| title_sort | presenting wicked problems in a science museum a methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective |
| topic | informal STEM learning individual interest wicked problems network analysis visitor studies |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1113019/full |
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