Lucky Coincidences: Experiencing Serendipity in Museums and Beyond

ABSTRACT Serendipity is the unintentional, accidental discovery of something new or surprising that feels positive and meaningful for the individual. Four studies ( N 1 = 1638; N 2 = 279; N 3 = 520; N 4 = 452) examined such experiences in museums and beyond, contributing to three overarching goals: (a) achieving a better understanding of predictors and consequences of serendipitous experiences; (b) differentiating them from other, related constructs; and (c) capturing them in a methodologically sound way. In Study 1, we examined serendipity and its psychological and structural circumstances with data from visitor surveys of a large German science museum. In Studies 2 and 3, we solidified these insights in an autobiographical recall study and a vignette experiment. Further, we introduced a theory‐grounded serendipity scale. Finally, in Study 4, we included the new scale in evaluation surveys for museum exhibitions. Across studies, experiencing serendipity was largely independent of interindividual differences such as Big Five traits or demographics, but consistently associated with people's motivation and interest in a topic. Suggesting practical relevance, serendipity experiences were linked to interactive media use in the museum and predicted exhibition enjoyment and recommendation intentions. While experiencing serendipity shared some similarity with other constructs such as the feeling of insight and situational interest, it emerged as an empirically distinguishable concept of its own. The serendipity scale overall demonstrated a coherent item structure and good internal consistency. Furthering the scarce research on serendipity, the present investigation offers basic and applied insights into the phenomenon and measurement of serendipity.