Looking into the Water: Examining Visitor Reflections of Touch Tank Experiences

Abstract

Touch tanks are a ubiquitous part of most aquariums in the United States, an exhibit where visitors engage in multisensory educational interactions. The purpose of this study is to examine people's long-term reflections of their touch tank experiences. An online survey and nested, semi-structured interview were conducted to explore how visitors experienced the exhibit and to examine individual reflections more fully. The survey was completed by 123 adult visitors online, and 21 nested, semi-structured interviews were conducted post-survey. The results show that participants considered their social interactions with educators to be of importance. They spoke of their experience using sensory language and referred to their affective states when describing it. The participants also reflected that the design of the touch tank and its physical context were important, and that a sense of safety for themselves and the animals often actively engaged their empathy for animals. Specific to a subset of participants, they also recalled the physical impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on their touch tank experience. These are the most salient themes to emerge from these reflections of touch tanks experiences that took place both before and during the pandemic.