CROWDING NORMS AT FRONTCOUNTRY SITES - A VISUAL APPROACH TO SETTING STANDARDS OF QUALITY

Indicators and standards of quality have emerged as key variables in d efining and managing carrying capacity. Moreover, normative theory has been found useful when applied to rite difficult task of setting stan dards of quality. However, the traditional numerical approach to measu ring crowding and related norms has several al potential shortcomings when applied to relatively high-use areas such as frontcountry attract ion sites. This study applies a visual approach to measuring crowding norms in addition to the traditional numerical approach. The study is focused on Delicate Arch, a primary visitor attraction in Arches Natio nal Park, Utah. Image capture technology was used to develop a series of 16 photographs illustrating a range of people at one time at Delica te Arch. A random sample of 473 visitors was asked to I ate the accept ability of each photograph as part of a survey conducted in the summer and fall of 1993. A strong relationship was found between the number of people in the photographs and acceptability ratings. Moreover, ther e was considerable consensus among the sample regarding acceptability ratings of each photograph, and respondent evaluations of actual use c onditions experienced were generally congruent with the social norm de veloped. These findings suggest an empirically rational basis for sett ing a standard of quality for crowding at Delicate Arch. However, the normative standards developed from the visual and traditional numerica l approaches were found to differ substantially. The theoretical and e mpirical literature on norms suggests that the visual approach may pro vide a more valid measure of crowding norms in relatively high-use are as.