Jinhee Yoo

Grounded in media richness theory, this study examined whether different types of technology (TV and VR) impact users’ empathy, engagement, enjoyment, and usage intentions. The study was conducted in Nigeria (n = 50) and the US (n = 51) using an experimental design. Participants watched an animated documentary titled “Is Anna OK?” at two time points, each time using a different device (i.e., Oculus Rift S and TV). Participants completed an online survey to measure empathy (α = 0.92), engagement (α = 0.93), enjoyment (α = 0.92), and usage intentions (α = 0.92) immediately after watching the documentary. A one-way ANOVA was used to examine the effects of technology type on the level of participants’ empathy, engagement, enjoyment, and intentions. The study revealed no significant difference in empathy between the TV and VR groups on Day 1 for both Nigerian and US participants. However, on Day 2, the VR group showed significantly higher empathy levels for both samples. Both the Nigerian and US participants who watched the documentary using a VR headset reported slightly higher levels of engagement and intentions than those who used a TV on Day 1, with more pronounced differences on Day 2. Nigerian participants who watched the documentary on TV reported higher levels of enjoyment on Day 1, while the VR group showed higher levels on Day 2. US participants showed a higher level of enjoyment for the VR group on both Day 1 and Day 2. The implications of these findings are discussed.

This study is a first step toward identifying some factors influencing spatial presence, enjoyment, and cognitive workload in virtual reality (VR) game play. The study was conducted in the Northeastern U.S. (n = 40) and Southwest Nigeria (n = 40) using a factorial experimental design with three environmental factors (i.e., lighting, flooring, and in-game sound) at two levels per factor. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions, playing a VR American football game using Oculus Rift S on 3 separate days, under a different condition each time. Following VR game play, measures of spatial presence (α = .86), enjoyment (α = .89), and subjective workload (α = .78) were collected through self-report surveys. A factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the influence of environmental factors on spatial presence, enjoyment, and subjective workload. The study found main effects of (a) lighting on subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 2 and Day 3), (b) flooring on subjective workload for both cohorts (Day 2), and (c) in-game sound on spatial presence and subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 3) and on spatial presence for the U.S. sample (Day 2 and Day 3). An interaction effect of lighting and flooring on subjective workload was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 1 and Day 2. An interaction effect of lighting, flooring, and in-game sound on enjoyment was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 3. We present implications for theory and practice.

This study is a first step toward identifying some factors influencing spatial presence, enjoyment, and cognitive workload in virtual reality (VR) game play. The study was conducted in the Northeastern U.S. (n = 40) and Southwest Nigeria (n = 40) using a factorial experimental design with three environmental factors (i.e., lighting, flooring, and in-game sound) at two levels per factor. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions, playing a VR American football game using Oculus Rift S on 3 separate days, under a different condition each time. Following VR game play, measures of spatial presence (α = .86), enjoyment (α = .89), and subjective workload (α = .78) were collected through self-report surveys. A factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the influence of environmental factors on spatial presence, enjoyment, and subjective workload. The study found main effects of (a) lighting on subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 2 and Day 3), (b) flooring on subjective workload for both cohorts (Day 2), and (c) in-game sound on spatial presence and subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 3) and on spatial presence for the U.S. sample (Day 2 and Day 3). An interaction effect of lighting and flooring on subjective workload was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 1 and Day 2. An interaction effect of lighting, flooring, and in-game sound on enjoyment was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 3. We present implications for theory and practice.

The authors conducted an exploratory study to examine video gamers’ motivation for playing virtual reality games. Grounded in self-determination theory, this study examined whether the VR gaming experience meets individuals’ psychological needs and develops their interest in VR sports games using interviews with 29 participants from the U.S. and Nigeria. The study found that most participants had two psychological needs met, namely competence and autonomy, while relatedness was not found. The participants demonstrated intrinsic motivation, as they expressed an interest to play VR games or to use a VR headset in the future. However, their current motivation status, in terms of their interest in purchasing a VR headset, can be qualified as identified regulation. Immersive experience was also found to be a major theme. Comparing Nigerian and U.S. participants, the Nigerians experienced dual learning curves. A few Nigerian participants indicated that they felt controlled by an external source in the game, while the U.S. participants were frustrated due to the limited controllable options available in the game. Some Nigerian participants also felt as if they were interacting with computer-driven characters. This study extends the research in this area and provides practical implications for various stakeholders involved in VR gaming technology.

With virtual reality (VR) video game users beginning to see beta advertisements within game play, this conceptual article adds a needed digital and interactive marketing research foundation to the new construct of VR in-game advertising (IGA) activation. New consumer VR technology continues to disrupt traditional media as a $7.7 billion USD industry, that is expected to reach $57.55 billion by 2027. As such, marketing researchers must continue to evolve and understand the interdisciplinary VR research evolution as many VR users are likely to view IGA as intrusive. IGA and VR are not new constructs, but IGA within VR is unique as VR consumers have not yet experienced VR IGA intrusion. This article utilizes a sport marketing focus to provide an industry specific set of examples for the reader, however this article can be applied to broader fields including communications and interactive marketing. The main contributions of this article are 2-fold. First the development of a VR In-Game...

This study is a first step toward identifying some factors influencing spatial presence, enjoyment, and cognitive workload in virtual reality (VR) game play. The study was conducted in the Northeastern U.S. (n = 40) and Southwest Nigeria (n = 40) using a factorial experimental design with three environmental factors (i.e., lighting, flooring, and in-game sound) at two levels per factor. Participants were randomly assigned to one of eight experimental conditions, playing a VR American football game using Oculus Rift S on 3 separate days, under a different condition each time. Following VR game play, measures of spatial presence (α = .86), enjoyment (α = .89), and subjective workload (α = .78) were collected through self-report surveys. A factorial analysis of variance (ANOVA) was used to examine the influence of environmental factors on spatial presence, enjoyment, and subjective workload. The study found main effects of (a) lighting on subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 2 and Day 3), (b) flooring on subjective workload for both cohorts (Day 2), and (c) in-game sound on spatial presence and subjective workload for the Nigerian sample (Day 3) and on spatial presence for the U.S. sample (Day 2 and Day 3). An interaction effect of lighting and flooring on subjective workload was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 1 and Day 2. An interaction effect of lighting, flooring, and in-game sound on enjoyment was found for the Nigerian sample on Day 3. We present implications for theory and practice.