[2] Falk and Dierking also assert that the visitor's attitude towards the experience and museum also plays a role in their personal context and "agenda".
[7] Behavioral settings allow us to conceptualize how people are influenced by physical space, as explained by Barker and Wright in Midwest and Its Children: Despite the diversity of people who visit museums and the diversity of museums, themselves, as well as the variety of exhibit content and design, research on the physical context has demonstrated that most visitors behave in a fairly predictable manner, and that they will, in fact, spend a large percentage of their time attending to the exhibit in objects on display.
Lakota found that within family groups, adults selected the hall or exhibition to be viewed, but then allowed the children to determine the level of engagement with the material.
Regardless of the content of a museum exhibition, the physical needs of the children come first; a full bladder or empty stomach can put an end to even the most compelling gallery visit.
Within the context of a gallery visit, the authors note that adult visitors are more likely to read informational materials provided by the museum, while children are the first to manipulate hands-on exhibits.
Group conversations may be sparked by an interesting object or display, but often veer off to related topics or events in the social life of the family.
To alleviate anxiety, the authors argue that it is important for the peers, that is other children, to be in consistent communication with each other throughout the museum trip.