Engagement amongst museum visitors 8.1 Introduction
8.2.2 Deep Personal
Other engaged visitors (11.7% of the overall sample) were coded as Deep Personal
visitors when looking at their entire interview. Unlike HeritagePilgrims, these Deep Personal visitors had not necessarily visited with an expectation that they would draw deep connections between their lives and the material. A break down of how these visitors were spread across the sites is shown in table 8.15:34
Table 8.15: The number of Deep Personal visitors at each museum Museum Frequency Valid Percent Total
The Bethlem 16 16.8 95
The Wellcome 19 20.4 93
The Mind 7 4.1 170
Overall sample 42 11.7 358
Like Heritage Pilgrims, and unlike many disengaged visitors discussed in Chapter Seven, these visitors typically had personal experiences with mental health issues and were frequent museum visitors (83.3% visited a museum twice a year or more when compared with 49.3% of disengaged visitors). When asked the question ‘Are there any aspects of your identity that made your visit particularly meaningful or interesting?’, 77.5% identified the exhibition material as relevant due to their interest in mental health
34 The higher numbers of visitors classified as Deep Personal at The Bethlem and The Wellcome when compared with The Mind is likely linked to factors outlined in Chapter Six and that have been discussed earlier in this chapter (that is, the purposeful nature of the visit and the high rates of personal identification with the material). However, it is interesting to note that The
Wellcome experienced higher rates of Deep Personal and Heritage Pilgrim visitors than The Bethlem. That both had high rates is not unusual given that they were specific exhibitions in museums with specific mental health contexts. Yet, this author did expect to find that The Bethlem would have higher rates of visitors who drew deeply personal meaning than The Wellcome given that it sits within an operating psychiatric facility and that visitors were required to make a significant journey to come and visit. This author is unsure about why this slight discrepancy occurred. However, overall rates of engagement at The Bethlem were the highest out of the overall sample when looking at all engaged visitors (that is those visitors who were classified as either Assessing Social Consequences, Deep Personal or Heritage Pilgrims).
issues or due to their professional or personal experiences of mental illness. Tables 8.16 to 8.19 below demonstrate how Deep Personal visitors responded to this question. They highlight that these visitors typically drew links between their identity as people who had personally or vicariously experienced mental health issues in both the overall sample and at each individual site:
Table 8.16: Overall Sample (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Are there any aspects of your identity that made your visit particularly interesting or meaningful?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their personal or vicarious experiences of mental health
21 52.5
Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their professional or academic life
7 17.5
No35 5 12.5
Visitor reported specific relevance due to their general interest in mental health
3 7.5
Visitor stated they had a specific interest in understanding thoughts, emotions, feelings
2 5
Visitor was unsure or gave a vague answer 1 2.5
Visitor felt the exhibition was just generally interesting or gave a generalised comment
1 2.5
Total 40 100
Missing 2
Total 42
Table 8.17: The Bethlem (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Are there any aspects of your identity that made your visit particularly interesting or meaningful?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their personal or vicarious experiences of mental health
7 46.6
Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their professional or academic life
3 20
Visitor reported specific relevance due to their general interest in mental health
3 20
No 2 13.3
35Interestingly, these visitors did not self-identify the material as being relevant to their identity when asked this question. However, strong connections between the material and their lives were established in several other parts of their interviews. It is, therefore, possible that these visitors interpreted this question differently to other Deep Personal visitors, or that they were not as actively aware of the deep links they were drawing between the exhibitions and their own lives as many other Deep Personal visitors were.
Visitor stated they had a specific interest in understanding thoughts, emotions, feelings
0 0
Visitor was unsure or gave a vague answer 0 0
Visitor felt the exhibition was just generally interesting or gave a generalised comment
0 0
Total 15 100
Missing 1
Total 16
Table 8.18: The Wellcome (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Are there any aspects of your identity that made your visit particularly interesting or meaningful?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their personal or vicarious experiences of mental health
10 52.6
Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their professional or academic life
4 21
No 2 10.5
Visitor stated they had a specific interest in understanding thoughts, emotions, feelings
1 5.2
Visitor was unsure or gave a vague answer 1 5.2
Visitor felt the exhibition was just generally interesting or gave a generalised comment
1 5.2
Visitor reported specific relevance due to their general interest in mental health
0 0
Total 19 100
Table 8.19: The Mind (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Are there any aspects of your identity that made your visit particularly interesting or meaningful?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their personal or vicarious experiences of mental health
4 67
No 1 16.6
Visitor stated they had a specific interest in understanding thoughts, emotions, feelings
1 16.6
Visitor stated it was relevant specifically due to their professional or academic life
0 0
Visitor was unsure or gave a vague answer 0 0
Visitor reported specific relevance due to their general interest in mental health
0 0
Visitor felt the exhibition was just generally interesting or gave a generalised comment
0 0
Missing 1
Total 7
The majority of these visitors in tables 8.16 to 8.19, those who drew links between the mental health material and their own lives, were concerned with exploring and
attempting to better understand their experiences of dealing with depression and other mental disorders. This exploration was often done through empathetic reflection; that is, they actively attempted to place themselves in the position of mental health sufferers on an intellectual and emotional level. Their struggles with mental health issues were placed in relation to the historical context of treatment and contrasted with individuals who had dealt with mental health issues in previous centuries. Tables 8.20 to 8.23 below highlight that, unlike disengaged visitors discussed in Chapter Seven, one of the most common responses by Deep Personal visitors to the question ‘What will you take away from the exhibition?’ was a reflection on their own mental health or others
experiences with mental illnesses, or aspects of the exhibition that were relevant to their own life:36
Table 8.20: Overall Sample (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Will you take away anything in particularly from your visit?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor took away a degree of personal reflection or parts that were relevant to their life
10 24
Visitor took away the reflection specifically on own or other peoples’ experiences with mental illnesses
9 21.4
Visitor indicated they would take away a positive feeling or a statement about mental health
4 9.5
Yes – but visitor was unsure of what or gave a vague statement 3 7.1
Generally interesting experience – active 2 4.7
Visitor raises a criticism of the exhibition or an element of the exhibition 3 7.1
Visitor was unsure or needed time to process thoughts 3 7.1
Visitor took away a feeling of sadness 2 4.7
Visitor took away the reinforcement of their views 2 4.7
Visitor provided a response relating to education 2 4.7
36Excerpts in Chapter Seven demonstrated that disengaged visitors were often unsure as to what they would take away form their visits. When asked ‘Will you take anything away in particular from your visit?’, 73% stated they were either unsure, that the exhibition was just generally interesting, or that they wouldn’t take anything away. Only 6.5% of disengaged visitors took away reflection on their own mental health or the experiences of others with mental illnesses, or aspects of the exhibition that were relevant to their own life. What this reflection entailed was often left unelaborated.
General interesting experience – passive 2 4.7
No – but visitor felt it was good to see people at the exhibition 0 0
Visitor stated they would remember a particular physical object 0 0
No – visitor was generally unelaborated 0 0
Visitor stated they would reflect on certain points or found it thought provoking
0 0
Visitor stated the experience of being on the physical grounds of the hospital
0 0
Total 42 100
Table 8.21: The Bethlem (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Will you take away anything in particular from your visit?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor took away the reflection specifically on own or other peoples’ experiences with mental illnesses
4 25
Visitor took away a degree of personal reflection or parts that were relevant to their life
4 25
Visitor indicated they would take away a positive feeling or a statement about mental health
3 18.7
Visitor raises a criticism of the exhibition or an element of the exhibition
3 18.7
Yes – but visitor was unsure of what or gave a vague statement 1 6.2
Generally interesting experience – active 1 6.2
Visitor was unsure or needed time to process thoughts 0 0
Visitor took away a feeling of sadness 0 0
General interesting experience – passive 0 0
Visitor took away the reinforcement of their views 0 0
No – but visitor felt it was good to see people at the exhibition 0 0
Visitor provided a response relating to education 0 0
Visitor stated they would remember a particular physical object 0 0
No – visitor was generally unelaborated 0 0
Visitor stated they would reflect on certain points or found it thought provoking
0 0
Visitor stated the experience of being on the physical grounds of the hospital
0 0
Total 16 100
Table 8.22: The Wellcome (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Will you take away anything in particular from your visit?’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Visitor took away a degree of personal reflection or parts that were relevant to their life
Visitor took away the reflection specifically on own or other peoples’ experiences with mental illnesses
3 15.7
Visitor was unsure or needed time to process thoughts 3 15.7
Yes – but visitor was unsure of what or gave a vague statement 2 10.5
Visitor took away a feeling of sadness 2 10.5
Visitor provided a response relating to education 2 10.5
General interesting experience – passive 1 5.2
Visitor took away the reinforcement of their views 1 5.2
Visitor indicated they would take away a positive feeling or a statement about mental health
1 5.2
Generally interesting experience – active 0 0
Visitor raises a criticism of the exhibition or an element of the exhibition 0 0
No – but visitor felt it was good to see people at the exhibition 0 0
Visitor stated they would remember a particular physical object 0 0
No – visitor was generally unelaborated 0 0
Visitor stated they would reflect on certain points or found it thought provoking 0 0
Visitor stated the experience of being on the physical grounds of the hospital 0 0
Total 19 100
Table 8.23: The Mind (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Will you take away anything in particular from your visit?’ Frequency Valid % Valid Visitor took away the reflection specifically on own or other peoples’ experiences with mental illnesses 2 28.5 Visitor took away a degree of personal reflection or parts that were relevant to their life 2 28.5 Generally interesting experience – passive 1 14.2 Visitor took away the reinforcement of their views 1 14.2 Generally interesting experience – active 1 14.2 Visitor was unsure or needed time to process thoughts 0 0
Yes – but visitor was unsure of what or gave a vague statement 0 0
Visitor indicated they would take away a positive feeling or a statement about mental health 0 0
Visitor raises a criticism of the exhibition or an element of the exhibition 0 0
Visitor took away a feeling of sadness 0 0
No – but visitor felt it was good to see people at the exhibition 0 0
Visitor provided a response relating to education 0 0
Visitor stated they would remember a particular physical object 0 0
No – visitor was generally unelaborated 0 0
Visitor stated they would reflect on certain points or found it thought provoking 0 0
Visitor stated the experience of being on the physical grounds of the hospital
0 0
Total 7 100
These tables indicate that these visitors appeared to value, or seemed at the very least interested in, the exhibition material in terms of the relevance or relation it had to their personal lives. The degree to which many of these visitors attempted to undertake this process of relating to the material from an empathetic perspective can also be seen in the following tables (8.24 to 8.27). These outline the levels of emotional engagement (as witnessed at the level of the entire interview) of Deep Personal visitors across each site and in the overall sample. They demonstrate that, in the overall sample, 71.4% of visitors established empathetic links with the themes, material and messages, while a further 9.5% actively attempted to process their emotional responses:37
Table 8.24: Overall Sample (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Overall emotional
engagement with mental health themes, based on coding of the entire interview’ Frequency Valid %
Valid Empathetic 30 71.4
Engaged Positive Mild to Strong Emotion 4 9.5
Basic Emotional Statements 4 9.5
Frustrated 2 4.7
Neutral or Information-Based 1 2.3
Distressed 1 2.3
Total 42 100
Table 8.25: The Bethlem (Deep Personal visitors) – ‘Overall emotional engagement with mental health themes, based on coding of the entire interview’
Frequency Valid %
Valid Empathetic 11 68.7
Frustrated 2 12.5
Engaged Positive Mild to Strong Emotion 1 6.2
Neutral or Information-Based 1 6.2
Basic Emotional Statements 1 6.2
Distressed 0 0
Total 16 100
37 This can be compared with the 96.2% of disengaged visitors who fell into the codes associated with being emotionally confronted or unengaged.