Original Research: Historical Thought and Source Interpretation

Who visits cathedrals? The science of cathedral studies and psychographic segmentation

Leslie J. Francis, Simon Mansfield
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 78, No 4 | a7571 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v78i4.7571 | © 2022 Leslie J. Francis, Simon Mansfield | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 29 March 2022 | Published: 20 July 2022

About the author(s)

Leslie J. Francis, Centre for Educational Development, Appraisal and Research (CEDAR), Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Warwick, Coventry, United Kingdom; World Religions and Education Research Unit, Bishop Grosseteste University, Lincoln, United Kingdom; Department of New Testament and Related Literature, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
Simon Mansfield, Department of Research, St Mary’s Centre, Abergwyngregyn, United Kingdom; Department of New Testament and Related Literature, Faculty of Theology and Religion, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa

Abstract

This study applied psychographic segmentation theory to explore the psychological type profile of 1082 visitors to four cathedrals (three in England and one in Wales) and to set this profile alongside the published national normative data. Data provided by the Francis Psychological Type Scales demonstrated that among cathedral visitors there were more introverts (60%), sensing types (72%) and judging types (80%), with a balance between thinking types (49%) and feeling types (51%). Comparisons with the population norms demonstrated that extraverts and perceiving types were significantly underrepresented among visitors to these four cathedrals. The implications of these findings are discussed for enhancing the visitor experience of those currently visiting and for attracting those psychological types currently less likely to visit.

Contribution: Situated within the science of cathedral studies, this article demonstrates (by means of applying psychographic segmentation theory and gathering data from four cathedrals) that extraverts and perceiving types were significantly under-represented among cathedral visitors. These data are important for understanding limitations on the reach of cathedrals within the wider community.


Keywords

psychological type; psychographic segmentation; cathedral studies; visitor experience; tourism studies; heritage studies

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