Hot Spot Interview Results Joshua Gutwill 7/25/99 Method The Hot Spot exhibit used in this study was the original version with the original label. The visitors are selected at random. The visitor that crosses an imaginary line and is closest to the interviewer is selected for an interview about the Hot Spot exhibit. N = 13 visitors 6 females 7 males Ages: 10-18 (5) 19-50 (8) Summary of Findings 12 of 13 visitors found the exhibit interesting, both when they first encountered it and after they had used it. Almost half of the visitors found the exhibit confusing. Of those, 43% had difficulty finding the hot spot. Another 43% had difficulty understanding the directions. A majority of the visitors (57%) basically understood that the exhibit shows that heat can be focused, like light. The others thought it was simply about mirrors focusing light. - Page 1 of 7 -
Less than half of the visitors found the exhibit relevant to their lives. - Page 2 of 7 -
Detailed Results Before you look at the exhibit closely, could you tell me just at first glance, how interesting does the exhibit seem to you? Uninteresting = 1 Somewhat uninteresting = 2 Neutral = 3 Somewhat interesting = 4 Interesting = 5 Pre Average: Post Average: 4.5 (before using exhibit) 4.4 (after using exhibit) Visitor Interest in Hot Spot 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 Pre Post 2 1 0 Uninteresting Somewhat Uninteresting Neutral Somewhat Interesting Interesting Interest Level Can you say what it is about this exhibit that makes it (un)interesting? Interesting because... (11) The exhibit looks interesting / beautiful (27%) It's beautiful I really like the glitter of it (the mirror). It looks like an optical illusion. How it looks. It looks 3-D dimensional. - Page 3 of 7 -
It involves light / science (27%) I am interested in the way light works. It's scientific stuff ( and you find that interesting) yes. The name and shape of the exhibit focus on temperature and points of light (and this is interesting?) yes. The exhibit is large (18%) The way it is so big. It makes you think what would this do? It is big. I don t know (27%) It is not as flashy as the other exhibits, so it does not seem very interesting. I do not know. I do not know. Neutral to Uninteresting because... (1) I don t know. What do visitors do with the exhibit? How do they use it? (Observations) Behavior Number of Visitors Reads label 12 Reached for Mirror 11 Looked at heater behind them 10 Was there anything confusing about this exhibit? Instructions were hard to understand (43%) I read the instructions and then I had to read them a second time. (Was there any particular part that you had to read a second time?) No. I first read the text I didn't understand When where the heater really was. It's the language. I do not quite understand the language (ESL) but it's ( the exhibit) is clear. Couldn t feel the heat / find the image (43%) I couldn t feel the waves of heat but, I did understand the directions. I had a hard time finding the image in the mirror. I didn't see the Hot Spot until I turned around (towards the heater). Other (14%) It is an optical illusion. Why does it have to be hot? ( points to the heater) No N=8 No. What do you think this exhibit is trying to show? (did they get it?) Heat gets focused (just like light) (57%) It is trying to show how a mirror conveys heat as well as light. - Page 4 of 7 -
The fact that heat as well as light focuses at a certain point. The mirror can reflect heat and also light. That solar heating is possible. ( how does it show solar heating?) You could use mirrors to focus sun's rays. It shows how heat bounces off the mirror. The way the mirror reflects waves of heat and the image ( hot spot). It is trying to show different kinds of rays that I cannot see, that this shows to me. I think it is supposed to show how mirrors can work in different ways. Mirrors make an image (21%) The mirror reflects something and then you can see it. It shows how mirrors show a 3-D image. It shows the principle of parabolic reflections and lenses. Mirrors distort / create illusions (14%) I don t know it probably expands stuff to be bigger and closer. It ( the exhibit ) makes things far away smaller and things that are close bigger. It shows little things (points to eyes and mirror) popping out. (Can you give me an example of things?) The thing that says Hot Spot that is also behind me. I don t know (7%) It is not so easy to tell. I do not know. Is there anything about this exhibit that feels relevant to you personally? Yes: 5 No: 7 Don t know: 1 Do you have any special knowledge or training in the area of heat and temperature? Yes: 5 No: 8 Is this your first visit to The Exploratorium? Yes: 9 No: 4 - Page 5 of 7 -
Hot Spot Observations: Can they find the spot? Josh Gutwill 10/9/99 Method: Observe 21 visitors as they use the exhibit. This version has the new label and has the heater mounted on a pole, without the garden of anodes (see photo of label below). As visitors leave the exhibit, approach and ask if they found the hot spot. Findings: Of the 17 visitors who tried who tried to find the hot spot, 82% were successful (see graph below). Four (19%) of the 21 visitors read the label, but never tried to find the spot. One of these four used the mirror as a fun-house mirror. Neither of the two children under 10 years old ever found the spot. Several visitors spontaneously complained about the visual effects that it gave them a headache or made them dizzy. Several others squinted and looked uncomfortable. - Page 6 of 7 -
Hot Spot Visitor Observations 16 14 Number of Visitors 12 10 8 6 4 2 0 Found Spot Failed to find spot Never tried Visitor behavior - Page 7 of 7 -