Presenting wicked problems in a science museum: A methodology to study interest from a dynamic perspective.

Area of Science:

• Science communication and public engagement with science.
• Focus on science centers and museums as platforms for societal issue engagement.

Background:

• Science museums play a crucial role in engaging the public with science and technology, particularly for complex societal challenges ('wicked problems').
• Personalized medicine serves as a case study to develop methodologies for exhibition design on such topics.

Purpose of the Study:

• To illustrate a methodology for developing exhibitions on wicked problems, using personalized medicine as a case.
• To investigate the multidimensional construct of interest, including knowledge, behavior, value, self-efficacy, and emotion, in the context of public engagement with science.

Main Methods:

• A mixed-method design was employed, starting with focus groups (N=16) and followed by a survey study (N=341) on public interest in personalized medicine.
• Network analysis was used to examine the relationships between different dimensions of interest and their predictive effects.

Main Results:

• Emotions and knowledge about subtopics were not central to the multidimensional interest construct in personalized medicine.
• General value and behavior related to understanding scientific research emerged as significant factors for eliciting situational interest.
• These factors may influence long-term individual interest in complex scientific topics.

Conclusions:

• The study presents a methodology for informing the development of science museum exhibitions on 'wicked problems'.
• Findings suggest focusing on the general value and behavioral aspects of scientific research can enhance public engagement with topics like personalized medicine.
• The methodology and findings offer insights for designing effective science communication strategies in museums.