Short answer

Designers should empower users to select or customize their virtual environments to foster deeper emotional engagement and awe.

Field
User-Centred Design
Source
Frontiers in Psychology (2018)
Method
Mixed-methods study
Evidence
Strong effect

Interactive virtual reality environments can effectively induce feelings of awe, a self-transcendent emotion associated with well-being, with personalization and user selection significantly amplifying this effect. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2018 study published in Frontiers in Psychology. Using Mixed-methods study, researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Designers should empower users to select or customize their virtual environments to foster deeper emotional engagement and awe.

Study
User-Centred DesignHigh ImpactStrong effect

Virtual Reality Environments Can Elicit Strong Awe Experiences, With Personalization Enhancing Impact

Interactive virtual reality environments can effectively induce feelings of awe, a self-transcendent emotion associated with well-being, with personalization and user selection significantly amplifying this effect.

Frontiers in Psychology · 2018

01

Key Findings

  • 01Interactive VR environments achieved an average self-reported awe rating of 79.7 out of 100.
  • 0243.8% of participants experienced goose bumps, a physiological marker of awe, with higher awe ratings correlating with goose bump occurrence.
  • 03Awe ratings were higher when participants self-selected their VR environments (64% of goose bumps occurred in these instances).
  • 04Participant interviews revealed themes of social connection and also identified usability issues with the VR interface.
  • 05Females appeared to experience more goose bumps than males, though personality traits did not show a clear correlation with awe ratings.
02

Application

Design takeaway

Designers should empower users to select or customize their virtual environments to foster deeper emotional engagement and awe.

How to apply

When designing VR experiences, consider offering users choices in environments or scenarios, and ensure the visual and auditory elements are rich and evocative.

Project actions

  • 01Consider how to give users choice within your design project.
  • 02Think about what elements in your design could evoke a sense of wonder or scale.
03

Method & Evidence

AimCan interactive virtual reality environments, particularly those featuring aesthetic beauty, scale, familiarity, and personalization, elicit experiences of awe, and how do physiological markers and user feedback correlate with these experiences?
MethodMixed-methods study
ProcedureParticipants explored Earth from ground and orbit using an interactive VR system. Data was collected through introspective interviews, self-report questionnaires on awe, personality trait assessments, and physiological goose bump measurements via a specialized camera.
ContextVirtual Reality (VR) experience design

Variables

IV["Type of VR environment (ground/orbit)","Interactivity of VR system","Personalization (self-selection of environment)","Aesthetic beauty/scale","Familiarity"]
DV["Self-reported awe ratings","Occurrence of goose bumps","Participant interview themes (social connection, usability)"]
CV["Personality traits","Gender"]
04

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

  • +Uses a mixed-methods approach combining subjective reports with objective physiological data.
  • +Investigates multiple factors hypothesized to induce awe in VR.

Limitations

The specific VR technology used might influence results, and individual differences in emotional response are complex.

Reliability & validity

The use of physiological markers (goose bumps) alongside self-report and interviews enhances the validity of the findings. Reliability would depend on the consistency of the VR system and the measurement tools.

Think critically

To what extent can the 'awe' experienced in VR be considered equivalent to awe experienced in the real world, and what are the ethical implications of designing for such intense emotional states?

05

Design Principles

"Personalization and environmental richness are key drivers of profound emotional experiences in immersive digital design."

Understanding how to design immersive experiences that evoke awe can lead to more engaging and impactful digital products. This insight is crucial for designers creating virtual reality applications, educational tools, or therapeutic interventions where emotional engagement is a key objective.

06

What This Means for Your Design

VR can make you feel 'awed' (like seeing something amazing) and even give you goosebumps. Letting people choose what they see in VR makes the awe even stronger.

How to use in your project

  • 1.Reference this study when discussing how user control and environmental design influence emotional responses in your design project.
07

Add to My Project

08

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

Research by Quesnel and Riecke (2018) indicates that interactive virtual reality environments can effectively elicit profound experiences of awe, a positive self-transcendent emotion. Their findings highlight that personalization, such as allowing users to self-select their virtual environments, significantly amplifies these awe-inducing effects, correlating with physiological markers like goose bumps. This suggests that empowering users with choice in immersive design is crucial for maximizing emotional impact and user engagement.

09

Source

Frontiers in Psychology

Are You Awed Yet? How Virtual Reality Gives Us Awe and Goose Bumps

journal · 2018

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about virtual reality environments can elicit strong awe experiences, with personalization enhancing impact?
Designers should empower users to select or customize their virtual environments to foster deeper emotional engagement and awe. Evidence: Frontiers in Psychology (2018).
Why does "Virtual Reality Environments Can Elicit Strong Awe Experiences, With Personalization Enhancing Impact" matter for design?
Understanding how to design immersive experiences that evoke awe can lead to more engaging and impactful digital products. This insight is crucial for designers creating virtual reality applications, educational tools, or therapeutic interventions where emotional engagement is a key objective.
How can designers apply this research?
Designers should empower users to select or customize their virtual environments to foster deeper emotional engagement and awe.
What were the main findings?
Interactive VR environments achieved an average self-reported awe rating of 79.7 out of 100.. 43.8% of participants experienced goose bumps, a physiological marker of awe, with higher awe ratings correlating with goose bump occurrence.. Awe ratings were higher when participants self-selected their VR environments (64% of goose bumps occurred in these instances).. Participant interviews revealed themes of social connection and also identified usability issues with the VR interface.
What research method was used?
Mixed-methods study.
How strong is the evidence?
Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2018 journal from Frontiers in Psychology.
What should I do differently in my next project?
When designing VR experiences, consider offering users choices in environments or scenarios, and ensure the visual and auditory elements are rich and evocative.
What are the limitations?
The study did not find clear correlations with personality traits, and gender differences in physiological responses warrant further investigation. Usability issues with the VR interface were noted.