The Role of Authenticity in the Experience of Visitors Interacting with Museum Technologies

Cultural places such as museums tend to rely on Information Technologies (IT) to support their exhibition and communication to the public. Although technology has undeniable advantages for museums and their visitors, it is not evident that IT contributes both to more enjoyment and to an experience of authenticity. Indeed, little attention has been paid to user reactions with hedonic systems available in cultural heritage sites. The objective of this research is to assess affective and cognitive reactions of museum visitors interacting with IT. We also try to determine the role played by authenticity in visitor interactions with museum technologies. To test our hypotheses, a free simulation experiment was conducted at a French national museum where 184 questionnaires were completed. The results indicate that technologies are not incompatible with perceptions of authenticity and that IT can contribute to edutainment experiences of visitors