Page 79 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 6(2) (2018)
P. 79
ia universitatistext on layers and short paragraphs, make a use if the premises are crowded, their attention goes
why style matters? 79 of subtitles, use an appropriate font size and spa- also to other people, sometimes due to the sali-
cing, corresponding colours and background. ent behaviour or due to the intrinsic human in-
Since the article is not aiming to offer extensi- terest in other people.
ve guidelines, a reader is encouraged to peruse
other sources for interpretive writing. Not all, that one experiences during the vi-
sit of heritage sites, has been described and yet
In decisions how many and which facts to it is obvious, what a variety and high number of
include in the text, is particularly valuable the elements occupies one’s thoughts and how small
finding that people find hard to remember more are the chances for the attendance to the activity
than a certain number of ideas at the same time. such as reading, which requires strong focus and
The ‘magical number’ has decreased from five vacant mental capacities. Naturally, humans are
to nine ideas (7±2) , what Miller (Miller 1956, in power to consciously control and direct their
81) discovered in 1965 onto three to seven ideas actions to some extent, so one can choose to read
(5±2) suggested by Ham for the people is 21st cen- or not to read at any time, but then again he or
tury (Ham 2016, 28). she would choose to read if a reward for the acti-
on is promising enough and the effort not too
However, there are not cognitive capacities high.
that divert us from reading. There are many the-
ories that explain the physical, social and perso- Does it have to do with me?
nal context, in which visitors try to pursue their When the visitors are briefly scanning labels and
various interests and needs. panels, they are looking for words, that are fami-
liar to them. In pursuing our interests and self-
Visit is a social act -actualisation needs (Maslow 1943, 370), we are
During a visit, a great part of our attention goes more attracted to the topics of which we already
to the surroundings and to other people. Full possess some knowledge or experiences. What
of impressions, especially if visiting for the first proved especially effective with the readers are
time, people examine the place and enjoy visu- the three principles: Provoke – Relate – Reveal,
al impressions. In the physical context (Falk and by which a visitor is provoked to feel, think or
Dierking 2016) of the visit, visitors need to first do something, but prior to any such action, he
find their way around, they try to select the parts or she must see the relevance with his or her own
of the content that are more interesting or rele- world: knowledge, experiences, beliefs, values or
vant to them, on their way they are searching for interests. When interpretation invokes curiosity
facilities such as restrooms or refreshments, and or emotions or resonance, one’s focal attention
nevertheless, they are concerned about the time. starts dealing with the subject matter in a shor-
It has been proven for museum settings that no t-term memory (Fennis and Stroebe 2010, 50),
matter how large is the place or how many ex- which is a pre-condition for any active conside-
hibitions a museum offers, in average people al- ration and also meaning-making.
locate one and a half hour to a single visit (Falk
and Dierking 2016, 133), while a big museum Conclusion
contains as much text as one could read for days! Upper listed aspects are only the few from the
vast field of psychological and sociological the-
Most people come to heritage sites as part ories that are explaining the attitude towards
of a social group, with families or friends (Falk labels and panels. Reading of online content,
and Dierking 2016, 148). They would concern books and brochures is usually performed un-
about their needs and behaviour, for instance, der different conditions and thus not a subject
parents usually care for children’s interests, le- to this paper.
arning opportunities and how can they provi-
de also fun for them. During the visit, especially
why style matters? 79 of subtitles, use an appropriate font size and spa- also to other people, sometimes due to the sali-
cing, corresponding colours and background. ent behaviour or due to the intrinsic human in-
Since the article is not aiming to offer extensi- terest in other people.
ve guidelines, a reader is encouraged to peruse
other sources for interpretive writing. Not all, that one experiences during the vi-
sit of heritage sites, has been described and yet
In decisions how many and which facts to it is obvious, what a variety and high number of
include in the text, is particularly valuable the elements occupies one’s thoughts and how small
finding that people find hard to remember more are the chances for the attendance to the activity
than a certain number of ideas at the same time. such as reading, which requires strong focus and
The ‘magical number’ has decreased from five vacant mental capacities. Naturally, humans are
to nine ideas (7±2) , what Miller (Miller 1956, in power to consciously control and direct their
81) discovered in 1965 onto three to seven ideas actions to some extent, so one can choose to read
(5±2) suggested by Ham for the people is 21st cen- or not to read at any time, but then again he or
tury (Ham 2016, 28). she would choose to read if a reward for the acti-
on is promising enough and the effort not too
However, there are not cognitive capacities high.
that divert us from reading. There are many the-
ories that explain the physical, social and perso- Does it have to do with me?
nal context, in which visitors try to pursue their When the visitors are briefly scanning labels and
various interests and needs. panels, they are looking for words, that are fami-
liar to them. In pursuing our interests and self-
Visit is a social act -actualisation needs (Maslow 1943, 370), we are
During a visit, a great part of our attention goes more attracted to the topics of which we already
to the surroundings and to other people. Full possess some knowledge or experiences. What
of impressions, especially if visiting for the first proved especially effective with the readers are
time, people examine the place and enjoy visu- the three principles: Provoke – Relate – Reveal,
al impressions. In the physical context (Falk and by which a visitor is provoked to feel, think or
Dierking 2016) of the visit, visitors need to first do something, but prior to any such action, he
find their way around, they try to select the parts or she must see the relevance with his or her own
of the content that are more interesting or rele- world: knowledge, experiences, beliefs, values or
vant to them, on their way they are searching for interests. When interpretation invokes curiosity
facilities such as restrooms or refreshments, and or emotions or resonance, one’s focal attention
nevertheless, they are concerned about the time. starts dealing with the subject matter in a shor-
It has been proven for museum settings that no t-term memory (Fennis and Stroebe 2010, 50),
matter how large is the place or how many ex- which is a pre-condition for any active conside-
hibitions a museum offers, in average people al- ration and also meaning-making.
locate one and a half hour to a single visit (Falk
and Dierking 2016, 133), while a big museum Conclusion
contains as much text as one could read for days! Upper listed aspects are only the few from the
vast field of psychological and sociological the-
Most people come to heritage sites as part ories that are explaining the attitude towards
of a social group, with families or friends (Falk labels and panels. Reading of online content,
and Dierking 2016, 148). They would concern books and brochures is usually performed un-
about their needs and behaviour, for instance, der different conditions and thus not a subject
parents usually care for children’s interests, le- to this paper.
arning opportunities and how can they provi-
de also fun for them. During the visit, especially
