Choosing to encourage or discourage: perceived effectiveness of prescriptive versus proscriptive messages.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Recreation Management
• Conservation Psychology

Background:

• Recreational site damage costs millions annually, diminishing visitor experiences.
• Indirect management strategies like visitor education are preferred but their effectiveness is understudied.
• The optimal message framing for promoting desired visitor conduct remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the perceived effectiveness of prescriptive (encouraging positive behavior) versus proscriptive (discouraging negative behavior) messages in recreational settings.
• To investigate the discrepancy between preferred message types and actual signage content.

Main Methods:

• A survey was mailed to members of the National Association for Interpretation.
• Respondents rated the perceived effectiveness of prescriptive and proscriptive messages in wildland and urban environments.

Main Results:

• Respondents overwhelmingly perceived prescriptive messages as more effective than proscriptive messages.
• This perception contrasts with previous findings of more proscriptive messages used on signs.

Conclusions:

• Visitor education strategies should prioritize prescriptive messaging for greater effectiveness.
• A significant gap exists between interpreters' beliefs about effective communication and current signage practices.
• Understanding the reasons for this discrepancy is crucial for improving recreational site management and visitor satisfaction.