scholarly journals Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study (Preprint)

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Seabrook ◽  
Ryan Kelly ◽  
Fiona Foley ◽  
Stephen Theiler ◽  
Neil Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
General Population ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
State Mindfulness

BACKGROUND Regular mindfulness practice has been demonstrated to be beneficial for mental health, but mindfulness can be challenging to adopt, with environmental and personal distractors often cited as challenges. Virtual reality (VR) may address these challenges by providing an immersive environment for practicing mindfulness and by supporting the user to orient attention to the present moment within a tailored virtual setting. However, there is currently a limited understanding of the ways in which VR can support or hinder mindfulness practice. Such an understanding is required to design effective VR apps while ensuring that VR-supported mindfulness is acceptable to end users. OBJECTIVE This study aimed to explore how VR can support mindfulness practice and to understand user experience issues that may affect the acceptability and efficacy of VR mindfulness for users in the general population. METHODS A sample of 37 participants from the general population trialed a VR mindfulness app in a controlled laboratory setting. The VR app presented users with an omnidirectional video of a peaceful forest environment with a guided mindfulness voiceover that was delivered by a male narrator. Scores on the State Mindfulness Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and single-item measures of positive and negative emotion and arousal were measured pre- and post-VR for all participants. Qualitative feedback was collected through interviews with a subset of 19 participants. The interviews sought to understand the user experience of mindfulness practice in VR. RESULTS State mindfulness (<i>P</i>&lt;.001; Cohen <i>d</i>=1.80) and positive affect (<i>P</i>=.006; <i>r</i>=.45) significantly increased after using the VR mindfulness app. No notable changes in negative emotion, subjective arousal, or symptoms of simulator sickness were observed across the sample. Participants described the user experience as relaxing, calming, and peaceful. Participants suggested that the use of VR helped them to focus on the present moment by using visual and auditory elements of VR as attentional anchors. The sense of presence in the virtual environment (VE) was identified by participants as being helpful to practicing mindfulness. Interruptions to presence acted as distractors. Some uncomfortable experiences were discussed, primarily in relation to video fidelity and the weight of the VR headset, although these were infrequent and minor. CONCLUSIONS This study suggests that an appropriately designed VR app can support mindfulness practice by enhancing state mindfulness and inducing positive affect. VR may help address the challenges of practicing mindfulness by creating a sense of presence in a tailored VE; by allowing users to attend to visual and auditory anchors of their choice; and by reducing the scope of the content in users’ mind-wandering. VR has the unique capability to combine guided mindfulness practice with tailored VEs that lend themselves to support individuals to focus attention on the present moment.

scholarly journals Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study

10.2196/16106 ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (3) ◽  
pp. e16106 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Seabrook ◽  
Ryan Kelly ◽  
Fiona Foley ◽  
Stephen Theiler ◽  
Neil Thomas ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
General Population ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Negative Emotion ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
State Mindfulness

Background Regular mindfulness practice has been demonstrated to be beneficial for mental health, but mindfulness can be challenging to adopt, with environmental and personal distractors often cited as challenges. Virtual reality (VR) may address these challenges by providing an immersive environment for practicing mindfulness and by supporting the user to orient attention to the present moment within a tailored virtual setting. However, there is currently a limited understanding of the ways in which VR can support or hinder mindfulness practice. Such an understanding is required to design effective VR apps while ensuring that VR-supported mindfulness is acceptable to end users. Objective This study aimed to explore how VR can support mindfulness practice and to understand user experience issues that may affect the acceptability and efficacy of VR mindfulness for users in the general population. Methods A sample of 37 participants from the general population trialed a VR mindfulness app in a controlled laboratory setting. The VR app presented users with an omnidirectional video of a peaceful forest environment with a guided mindfulness voiceover that was delivered by a male narrator. Scores on the State Mindfulness Scale, Simulator Sickness Questionnaire, and single-item measures of positive and negative emotion and arousal were measured pre- and post-VR for all participants. Qualitative feedback was collected through interviews with a subset of 19 participants. The interviews sought to understand the user experience of mindfulness practice in VR. Results State mindfulness (P<.001; Cohen d=1.80) and positive affect (P=.006; r=.45) significantly increased after using the VR mindfulness app. No notable changes in negative emotion, subjective arousal, or symptoms of simulator sickness were observed across the sample. Participants described the user experience as relaxing, calming, and peaceful. Participants suggested that the use of VR helped them to focus on the present moment by using visual and auditory elements of VR as attentional anchors. The sense of presence in the virtual environment (VE) was identified by participants as being helpful to practicing mindfulness. Interruptions to presence acted as distractors. Some uncomfortable experiences were discussed, primarily in relation to video fidelity and the weight of the VR headset, although these were infrequent and minor. Conclusions This study suggests that an appropriately designed VR app can support mindfulness practice by enhancing state mindfulness and inducing positive affect. VR may help address the challenges of practicing mindfulness by creating a sense of presence in a tailored VE; by allowing users to attend to visual and auditory anchors of their choice; and by reducing the scope of the content in users’ mind-wandering. VR has the unique capability to combine guided mindfulness practice with tailored VEs that lend themselves to support individuals to focus attention on the present moment.

Virtual Reality to Improve the User Experience of Traditional Museums

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elena Spadoni ◽  
Marina Carulli ◽  
Monica Bordegoni
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Augmented Reality ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Primary Objective ◽  
The Other ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Different Types ◽  
Virtual Reality Application ◽  
Museum Exhibition

Abstract Museums have been subjected to important changes in the approach they use to involve visitors. Among the other trends, storytelling and interactive exhibitions are two of the most used approaches used to make exhibitions more interesting for users. Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality methods can be effectively used in the context of a museum exhibition to support both storytelling and interaction. The primary objective of the use of these technologies is to make the visit of museums much more engaging, and suitable for different types of visitors. Among the several museums that are moving in this direction, there is the Museo Astronomico di Brera. The museum mainly consists of a corridor, hosting instruments used by astronomers, and the Cupola Schiaparelli, which is an observatory dome. The aim of the research presented in this paper is to develop an interactive Virtual Reality application to be used for improving the users’ experience of visits to the Museo Astronomico di Brera. Specifically, the paper presents a VR application to virtually visit the Dome. Preliminary tests have been carried out for evaluating the users’ sense of presence in the VR environment. An analysis of the collected data is presented in the paper.

scholarly journals Association of Individual Factors with Simulator Sickness and Sense of Presence in Virtual Reality mediated by head-mounted displays (HMDs)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Grassini ◽  
Karin Laumann ◽  
Ann Kristin Luzi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Positive Sense

Many studies have attempted to understand which individual differences may be related to the symptoms of discomfort during the virtual experience (simulator sickness) and the generally considered positive sense of being inside the simulated scene (sense of presence). Nevertheless, due to the quick technological advancement in the field of virtual reality, most of these studies are now outdated. Advanced technology for virtual reality is commonly mediated by head-mounted displays (HMDs), which aim to increase the sense of the presence of the user, remove stimuli from the external environment, and provide high definition, photo-realistic, three-dimensional images. Our results showed that motion sickness susceptibility and simulator sickness are related and neuroticism may be associated and predict simulator sickness. Furthermore, the results showed that people who are more used to playing video-games are less susceptible to simulator sickness; female participants reported more simulator sickness compared to males (but only for nausea-related symptoms). Female participants also experienced a higher sense of presence compared to males. We suggests that published findings on simulator sickness and the sense of presence in virtual reality environments need to be replicated with the use of modern HMDs.

Evaluating the Efficacy of Multi-Sensory Stimulations on Simulator Sickness and Sense of Presence during HMD-mediated VR Experience

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Grassini ◽  
Karin Laumann ◽  
Virginia de Martin Topranin ◽  
Sebastian Thorp
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Sensory Input ◽  
Mechanical Vibration ◽  
Sensory Stimulation ◽  
Vestibular Stimulation ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Wide Range ◽  
High Degree ◽  
Seat Vibration

Virtual reality (VR) is currently being used for a wide range of applications. However, a sense of discomfort during VR experiences (commonly referred to as simulator sickness), is an obstacle for acceptance of the technology outside the niche of tech enthusiasts. Some lines of evidence have shown that sensory input, especially related to vestibular stimulation, may reduce the symptoms related to simulator sickness and increase the sense of presence. This investigation aims at understanding how mechanical vibration can be used to improve user experience in VR, reducing symptoms of simulator sickness and increasing the sense of presence. Four different groups comprising a total of 80 participants were tested under different conditions of sensory input (visual and vibratory, visual and auditory, visuo-auditory and vibratory, and visual only), during a VR roller-coaster experience. A questionnaire was used as the research instrument to evaluate both the sense of presence and the degree of simulator sickness experienced in VR. No significant differences in simulator sickness or presence were found between the groups exposed to seat vibration and/or audio. However, female participants experienced higher sense of presence when vibration was included. For participants experiencing a high degree of simulator sickness, vibration improved the experienced sense of presence, and the inclusion of vibration (but not sound) decreased the level of sickness-related disorientation. The inclusion of multi-sensory stimulation in VR revealed possibilities to improve the experience in some user categories; however, the use of vibration stimulation requires further research to be proven effective for the general public.Keywords: virtual reality, simulator sickness, presence, HMDs, vibration

scholarly journals Association of Individual Factors with Simulator Sickness and Sense of Presence in Virtual Reality mediated by head-mounted displays (HMDs)

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Grassini ◽  
Karin Laumann ◽  
Ann Kristin Luzi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Advanced Technology ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Technological Advancement ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Positive Sense

Many studies have attempted to understand which individual differences may be related to the symptoms of discomfort during the virtual experience (simulator sickness) and the generally considered positive sense of being inside the simulated scene (sense of presence). Nevertheless, due to the quick technological advancement in the field of virtual reality, most of these studies are now outdated. Advanced technology for virtual reality is commonly mediated by head-mounted displays (HMDs), which aim to increase the sense of the presence of the user, remove stimuli from the external environment, and provide high definition, photo-realistic, three-dimensional images. Our results showed that motion sickness susceptibility and simulator sickness are related and neuroticism may be associated and predict simulator sickness. Furthermore, the results showed that people who are more used to playing video-games are less susceptible to simulator sickness; female participants reported more simulator sickness compared to males (but only for nausea-related symptoms). Female participants also experienced a higher sense of presence compared to males. We suggests that published findings on simulator sickness and the sense of presence in virtual reality environments need to be replicated with the use of modern HMDs.

scholarly journals Exploring the Use of Virtual Reality for the Delivery and Practice of Stress-Management Exercises

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Desmond Jun Hong Soh ◽  
Crystal Huiyi Ong ◽  
Qianqian Fan ◽  
Denise Ju Ling Seah ◽  
Stacey Lee Henderson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Healthcare Professionals ◽  
Negative Mood ◽  
Mood States ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Qualitative Responses ◽  
To Receive ◽  
Future Practice

BackgroundMindfulness-based interventions may benefit healthcare professionals with burnout symptoms. Virtual reality (VR) may reduce initial difficulty of engaging in mindfulness exercises and increase participants’ engagement through immersion and presence.AimThe aim was to investigate how VR affects participants’ experience of engagement with mindfulness practice, and its impact on quality of practice and negative mood states.MethodsFifty-one healthcare professionals were randomized to receive either a visualization or non-visualization mindfulness practice, to compare the quality of practice through the use of audio only vs. with a virtual reality interface. Selected self-reported measures were collected during the session (immersion, quality and difficulty of practice, mood states and likelihood for future practice).ResultsResults showed that order instead of type of modality administered made a difference in quality of mindfulness practice. A greater sense of presence was reported with VR if administered after audio (F = 4.810, p = 0.033, Partial η2 = 0.093). Further, participants described difficulty practicing with audio if administered after VR (F = 4.136, p = 0.048, Partial η2 = 0.081). Additionally, lower mood disturbance was reported with VR if administered after audio (F = 8.116, p = 0.006, Partial η2 = 0.147). Qualitative responses echoed a preference for VR to engage better, in addition to improved mood states after practice.ConclusionFindings suggest that VR has the potential to provide healthcare professionals with an alternative or a supplement to conventional mindfulness practice.

Mindfulness-based Online Training Increases Well-being and Decreases Stress After Covid-19 Lockdown (Preprint)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Bossi ◽  
Francesca Zaninotto ◽  
Sonia D’Arcangelo ◽  
Nicola Lattanzi ◽  
Andrea Patricelli Malizia ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Negative Affect ◽  
Positive Affect ◽  
Intervention Group ◽  
Training Group ◽  
Well Being ◽  
Mindfulness Training ◽  
Mindfulness Practice ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Present Moment ◽  
Expressive Suppression

BACKGROUND Mindfulness practice consists of “paying attention on purpose, in the present moment, and nonjudgmentally to the unfolding of experience moment by moment”. Mindfulness training was shown to be effective in improving well-being and reducing perceived stress in several conditions. These effects were also found in online mindfulness-based training, especially on employees in organizational environments. OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to test the effectiveness of online mindfulness training on healthy employees especially after the first Italian Covid-19 lockdown, when the measures to prevent contagion were loosened, but the second wave was starting again to emerge. METHODS Participants in the training group underwent an 8-week mindfulness training based on the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) protocol compared to a control (no-intervention) group. A new practice was presented each week by two trainers, who were also available for Q&A on a weekly basis. All participants filled in weekly surveys for the whole training duration via online questionnaires to measure their habits, mindfulness (FFMQ-15), emotion regulation (ERQ), positive and negative affect (PANAS), depression, anxiety and stress (DASS-21), resilience (RSA) and insomnia (ISI). 46 participants in the training group and 54 in the control group completed at least half of the weekly questionnaires and were considered in the longitudinal analyses. RESULTS We found significant differences between the training and control groups over time in the measures of mindfulness (in particular the nonreactivity subscale), positive affect, depression, and insomnia. Moreover, we found that the frequency of practice and ease perceived in practicing were positively correlated to several indices of well-being (mindfulness, positive affect, cognitive reappraisal) and negatively correlated to several indices of stress (negative affect, depression, anxiety, stress, insomnia, expressive suppression). CONCLUSIONS These results show the importance and effectiveness of online mindfulness training to cope with stress among employees, especially after the Covid-19 lockdown, a period of great uncertainties and psychological tension.

User Experience of Public Speaking Practice in Virtual Reality

2020 ◽  
pp. 235-249
Author(s):  
Alice Gruber ◽  
Regina Kaplan-Rakowski
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
User Experience ◽  
Nonverbal Behavior ◽  
Public Speaking ◽  
Virtual Space ◽  
Body Motion ◽  
Public Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Structured Interviews ◽  
Speaking Anxiety ◽  
Sense Of Presence

This study investigated how the sense of presence and the plausibility illusion of high-immersion virtual reality (VR) impacted students' public speaking anxiety when presenting in a foreign language. In the study, the students gave eight presentations in a VR classroom while using a high-immersion VR headset. The students' virtual audience resembled classmates who were programmed to show nonverbal behavior, such as gestures, mimicry, and body motion. Analysis of subsequent individual semi-structured interviews with the students showed that they experienced a sense of presence and plausibility illusion about the virtual audience and the virtual space. The participants also saw VR as an effective tool for practicing public speaking and reducing any attendant anxiety.

scholarly journals Association of Individual Factors with Simulator Sickness and Sense of Presence in Virtual Reality Mediated by Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs)

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 (3) ◽  
pp. 7
Author(s):  
Simone Grassini ◽  
Karin Laumann ◽  
Ann Kristin Luzi
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
External Environment ◽  
Individual Factors ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
High Definition ◽  
Virtual Experience ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
Head Mounted Displays ◽  
Positive Sense

Many studies have attempted to understand which individual differences may be related to the symptoms of discomfort during the virtual experience (simulator sickness) and the generally considered positive sense of being inside the simulated scene (sense of presence). Nevertheless, a very limited number of studies have employed modern consumer-oriented head-mounted displays (HMDs). These systems aim to produce a high the sense of the presence of the user, remove stimuli from the external environment, and provide high definition, photo-realistic, three-dimensional images. Our results showed that motion sickness susceptibility and simulator sickness are related, and neuroticism may be associated and predict simulator sickness. Furthermore, the results showed that people who are more used to playing videogames are less susceptible to simulator sickness; female participants reported more simulator sickness compared to males (but only for nausea-related symptoms). Female participants also experienced a higher sense of presence compared to males. We suggest that published findings on simulator sickness and the sense of presence in virtual reality environments need to be replicated with the use of modern HMDs.

scholarly journals Education in the Digital Age: Learning Experience in Virtual and Mixed Realities

2021 ◽  
pp. 073563312098512
Author(s):  
Devon Allcoat ◽  
Tim Hatchard ◽  
Freeha Azmat ◽  
Kim Stansfield ◽  
Derrick Watson ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Reality ◽  
Positive Emotions ◽  
New Technologies ◽  
Mixed Reality ◽  
Learning Experience ◽  
Traditional Learning ◽  
Simulator Sickness ◽  
Learning Condition ◽  
Sense Of Presence ◽  
The 1960S

In recent years Virtual Reality has been revitalized, having gained and lost popularity between the 1960s and 1990s, and is now widely used for entertainment purposes. However, Virtual Reality, along with Mixed Reality and Augmented Reality, has broader application possibilities, thanks to significant advances in technology and accessibility. In the current study, we examined the effectiveness of these new technologies for use in education. We found that learning in both virtual and mixed environments resulted in similar levels of performance to traditional learning. However, participants reported higher levels of engagement in both Virtual Reality and Mixed Reality conditions compared to the traditional learning condition, and higher levels of positive emotions in the Virtual Reality condition. No simulator sickness was found from using either headset, and both headsets scored similarly for system usability and user acceptance of the technology. Virtual Reality, however, did produce a higher sense of presence than Mixed Reality. Overall, the findings suggest that some benefits can be gained from using Virtual and Mixed Realities for education.

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