Visitor Satisfaction between Museum Experience and Behavioral Intention: A Case of Art Undergraduates at a Public University in Sichuan, China

Abstract

As museums become more interactive cultural spaces, it is increasingly important to understand the factors that shape visitor engagement. However, understanding the experiential factors that shape engagement among specialized audience segments, such as art students, remains a critical research gap. This study examined how different dimensions of museum experience influence visitor satisfaction and behavioral intention. Focusing on the unique demographic of art major undergraduates. at Sichuan University of Arts and Science, the study analyzed five dimensions of museum experience: perceived value, aesthetics, entertainment, education, and perceived quality. A quantitative survey strategy was employed in this study, with first-hand data gathered by means of a structured online questionnaire. Data were collected from 480 valid participants who had previously visited Dazhou Museum. Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) was employed to empirically evaluate the measurement model’s psychometric properties and test the hypothesized relationships derived from the theoretical framework. The findings indicated that all five dimensions of museum experience positively and significantly influenced visitor satisfaction, among which aesthetics produced the greatest effect (β = 0.424). Moreover, the study revealed that visitor satisfaction substantially mediates the link between museum experience and subsequent behavioral intentions—particularly the likelihood of returning and recommending the museum to others (β = 0.543) as confirmed by bootstrapping analysis. The primary contribution of this study is twofold: theoretically, it extends the experience economy framework by demonstrating its robust applicability to a specialized, aesthetically sensitive audience; and contextually, it bridges the gap in regional museum research. Practically, these findings indicate that policymakers and cultural institutions should prioritize aesthetic design and edutainment initiatives to enhance visitor satisfaction and foster long-term engagement among young audiences.