Exploring the use of the personal meaning

mapping method in dress and textiles scholarship

Genna Reeves-DeArmond, Ph.D.

Oregon State University, USA

ITAA
Conference
2013

Introduction
Gaimster (2011) acknowledges mind mapping as a useful technique for
brainstorming ideas about a research problem in fashion scholarship.
What is mind mapping?
A mind map is a diagram used to visually outline information. It is often
created around a single word or idea, placed in the center, to which
Circle your
associated ideas, words and concepts
are added.
answer

What is Personal Meaning Mapping?

Personal Meaning Mapping (PMM) is a recently developed data collection
technique designed to measure how a specific learning experience uniquely
affects each individuals understanding or meaning-making process
(Adams, Falk, & Dierking, 2003, p. 22).

John Falk and Lynn Dierking,

Oregon State University
Co-Founders of the PMM Method

Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to share my introductory use of the
PMM method in dress and textiles scholarship and explore
other options for its application.
This is a case study:
I used the PMM method as a data collection tool to
investigate the role of dress artifacts and displays in
learning about a historic event (in this case, Titanic) in
museums.

PMM Map Completed by Researcher

Blank PMM Document

Example of a completed pre-museum visit PMM

Interview Questions
Before Museum Visit:

After Museum Visit:

When you think about

Titanic, what comes to mind?
Does the Titanic have
personal meaning for you?
Describe.
If you saw the film, when you
think about the character of
Rose, what comes to mind?
Describe what the word
costume means to you.
Describe what the word
dress means to you.
When you think about the
costumes from the 1997
Titanic film, what comes to
mind?

Now that you have visited the

museum attraction, when you
think about Titanic, what
comes to mind?
What stands out to you about
your visit to the Titanic
Museum Attraction?
Do you feel that your visit
contributed to learning more
about the Titanic? If yes,
how? If no, why?
Describe how dress and
costume were displayed in
the Titanic Museum
Attraction.
Describe the dress display
you liked the most.

Within one week following the visit, each participant revisited the ideas and
thoughts previously recorded on the PMM document. Participants were asked
to write responses to the prompts based on their museum visit, but they were
also given the opportunity for review and revision of ideas and thoughts
recorded during the pre-visit session.

The amount of information

recorded on a participants
PMM (both pre- and postinterview) varied.

but quantity did not affect

the usefulness of the
responses.
All participant responses
were insightful and
contributed to the research.

Drawing arrows as
visual connections
between concepts that
relate to one another

Visual PMM Documents

Reflections on process
Participant anxiety about
PMM responses being wrong:
-A 79-year-old male
participant stated, Oh no,
now youre going to see how
dumb I am.
-A 56-year-old female
participant stated, I have
never felt book smart and I
feel dumb compared to most
other people. She felt her
responses may reveal that in
a formal way.

Data Analysis Strategies for PMM Method

What content-specific information was gathered with the

use of this method?

The findings of this study revealed that participants gained

1) a greater understanding of how dress artifacts fit into and
reflect the social context and values of the time period and
2) a range of new vocabulary with which to conceptualize and
discuss both history and dress.

Future Use of the PMM Method in Dress Scholarship

Future use of PMM in dress scholarship may be adapted to include diverse
subject matter, such as (1) participant assessment of apparel prototypes
before and after wear and (2) participant assessment of retail store
atmospherics before and after a store visit.

References
Adams, M., Falk, J.H., & Dierking, L.D. (2003). Things change: Museums,
learning, and research. In M. Xanthoudaki, L. Tickle, & V. Sekules,
(Eds.), Researching visual arts education in museums and galleries:
An international reader (pp. 15-32). London: Kluwer Academic
Publishers.
Buzan, T. (2003). The mind map book. London: BBC Books.
Falk, J.H. (2003). Personal meaning mapping. In G. Caban, C. Scott, J.
Falk, & L. Dierking, (Eds.), Museums and creativity: A study into the
role of museums in design education (pp. 10-18). Sydney, Australia:
Powerhouse Publishing.
Gaimster, J. (2011). Visual research methods in fashion. Oxford and New
York: Berg.