Presentation Schedule
Crowd Psychology and Loss Aversion in an Enclosed Theme Park (113073)
Friday, 13 November 2026 16:40
Session: Poster Session
Room: Hall G (Level -2)
Presentation Type: Poster Presentation
Managing friction among diverse visitor segments in spatially constrained tourist facilities remains a critical challenge in modern social science and destination management. This study focuses on Sanrio Puroland, a prominent indoor theme park in Japan that serves as a representative hub for "Oshi" (enthusiastic fandom) culture. Extending the analytical methodologies from our research on tourist consciousness and hindering factors, we employed text mining and sentiment analysis to qualitatively and quantitatively evaluate 300 visitor reviews. Our analysis reveals profound socio-spatial conflicts between passionate adult fans engaging in intensive "Oshi-katsu" (such as claiming prime spots for parades or queuing extensively for character greetings) and families with young children. Because these two segments possess entirely divergent reference points and spatial needs, operational frictions are perceived as severe psychological "losses" that fall far below their artificially inflated initial expectations. According to Prospect Theory, this loss aversion significantly and non-linearly degrades overall visitor satisfaction. However, the study demonstrates that introducing a strategic "choice architecture"—such as low-cost priority passes (PUROPASS) and transparent prior information disclosure regarding crowding—functions as a highly effective "nudge." This approach recalibrates visitors' reference points to realistic, manageable levels, thereby preemptively mitigating dissatisfaction. Ultimately, this research demonstrates that strategically optimizing reference points based on Prospect Theory, rather than merely maximizing visual expectations, provides a robust framework for alleviating inter-segment conflicts and achieving sustainable crowd management in high-density, heterogeneous social spaces.
Authors:
Soji Lee, Tokai University, Japan
About the Presenter(s)
Professor Soji Lee is a University Assistant Professor/Lecturer at Tokai University in Japan
See this presentation on the full schedule – Friday Schedule
