Environmental interpretation and socio-cognitive mindfulness: A literature review

Visitors to environmental and heritage sites can have heightened experiences through effective interpretation. Thus, providing effective environmental and heritage interpretation is important for visitors who explore those sites. In parks, recreation, and tourism research, the addition of socio-cognitive mindfulness into interpretation methods is a technique that can be used to improve interpretation experiences. This review sought to summarize what is known from the literature in this field about applying socio-cognitive mindfulness in interpretation settings as well as how it can be applied effectively. Themes that emerged from this review of 17 analyzed sources were that socio-cognitive mindfulness in interpretive settings can lead to learning experiences and studies that have tested Moscardo's conceptual framework regarding mindfulness in interpretive settings have provided evidence for how mindful interpretive experiences can be implemented (i.e., use of multisensory media, novelty, variety, questions, and visitor control can facilitate mindfulness in interpretive settings). Mindful interpretation can be used to enhance sustainability education in interpretive settings and future research directions for socio-cognitive mindful interpretive research is also discussed.

Management implications

A literature review was completed about socio-cognitive mindfulness applications in environmental interpretation settings. Findings from this review indicated that mindful interpretive experiences serve to enhance visitor learning experiences. Socio-cognitive mindful interpretive experiences can be facilitated by applying concepts from Moscardo's (1996, 1999) framework. Providing novelty, variety, elements of visitor control, or through the use of multisensory media or questions can serve to provide mindful interpretive experiences. Furthermore, from this review, mindful interpretation can be used to promote sustainability education by applying mindful interpretive techniques to environmental interpretation settings. This can be a useful application of mindfulness in such settings.