Immersion and Presence in Virtual Nature: How Does the Delivery Technology Affect the Psychological Immersion, Presence, and Virtual Reality Sickness in Virtual Nature?

Abstract

Virtual nature exposure can support wellbeing and health, but outcomes may vary by delivery technology. This study investigates how the delivery technology affects psychological immersion, presence, and VR-sickness symptoms in virtual nature. Three different technologies for delivering virtual nature were compared: TV, VR-headset, and virtual nature room. In a three-condition randomized trial with a crossover design, 62 participants visited once in each condition for a 15-minute exposure. Generally, participants’ psychological immersion and presence outcomes were higher in the VR headset and virtual nature room conditions than in the TV condition. Psychological immersion and presence outcomes were higher in the VR headset condition than in the virtual nature room condition. In terms of VR sickness, there were some interesting findings depending on the measured subscale (oculomotor and disorientation). We also unpack and provide an exemplar on how to use the terms technological immersion, psychological immersion, and presence in virtual environment research.