ABSTRACT
The attention-value model expresses that exhibit design elements can prompt multiple functions: capturing visitor attention, changing the visitor traffic flow and creating deeper visitor attention engagement. The life-sized animal cutouts provide visitors with information not available by directly observing the animals. The cutouts also served as a background for interpretive labels. In addition, when multiple species are contained in the same exhibit space, shape identification may occur more easily with the aid of the cutouts. The positions of the Sitatunga and Greater Kudu cutouts were reversed so that the Kudu was placed on the main path and the Sitatunga was placed along the Overlook Trail. During the initial placement of the cutouts, visitors were least likely to read the Thompson's Gazelle cutout. The fact that a higher percentage of visitors read the Greater Kudu label than the Sitatunga label could have been due to either the position of the respective cutouts or to the cutout characteristics.
