Pat, play, and pay: trialing a pay-what-you-want model for an up-close animal encounter

Zoos provide an opportunity for individuals to connect with nature. When individuals feel connected to nature, they are more likely to have positive attitudes toward the environment and to donate to pro-environmental causes. The purpose of the current study was to test the effectiveness of employing a “Pay-What-You-Want” (PWYW) pricing model in a not-for-profit zoo environment. We were interested in financial and nonfinancial outcomes of asking participants to determine their own price. Although the trial resulted in a decrease in per-person payments, there was a positive relationship between payment amount and customer satisfaction and attitude toward the zoo, and a negative relationship between the payment amount and group size. We also found some evidence that engaging in PWYW encouraged central route information processing (as per the elaboration likelihood model theory of persuasion). However, additional research is required to further understand effect of PWYW on elaboration and attitude.