Lights Out- Exploring with Introductory Psychology Students

by Professor Melissa McCeney

During the fall semester, Introductory Psychology students visited the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in order to consider the impact of identity on conservation-related behaviors, as well as the role of museums in shaping specific aspects of identity.

With regard to nature, humans tend to identify themselves in one of three main ways, depending on factors such as culture, personality, and childhood upbringing:

1. Masters – “Humans should dominate nature and use its resources for their benefit.”
2. Stewards – “Humans are responsible for nature and should make wise decisions regarding the use of the earth’s resources.”
3. Ecocentrists – “Humans are a part of nature, dwellers of an interconnected ecosystem, just like any other species. What affects one of us affects all of us.”

Students visited at least two exhibits in the National Museum of Natural History and approached them from each of these three perspectives.

Getting to the museum was the first adventure. Several students had little or no experience riding the Metro and/or had not spent much time in Washington, DC. They enjoyed learning to navigate the trains and exploring the area surrounding the museum.

When we arrived at the museum, we had a brief orientation in the rotunda.

Then we visited the Lights Out exhibit together as a group. Lights Out invites visitors to explore why dark nights matter, to consider their own relationship to the night sky, and to question how much light at night is enough through photographs, tactile models, interactive exhibits, and a theater program.

Students were particularly struck by the fact that 80% of the population in North America cannot see the Milky Way due to light pollution. When asked what they took away from the exhibit, one student exclaimed, “A burning desire to see the Milky Way!”

As they explored the Lights Out exhibit, students considered the following questions:

1. How do you think people with each of these three identities would respond to the two exhibits you explored? What would you change about each exhibit to communicate more effectively with “masters?” With “stewards?” With “ecocentrists”?

2. Given that identities can be fluid, do you think exhibits such as the two you viewed might influence a person’s nature-related identity? Why or why not? Would influencing identity be a worthwhile goal for the creators of these exhibits? Explain.

Once we had taken our time in the Lights Out exhibit, students were invited to choose another exhibit in the museum and explore it on their own, considering the same questions about identity and conservation-related behaviors. They chose a wide variety of exhibits based on their own personal interests, and their observations were a delight to read.