The Effect of Virtual-Reality-Based Restorative Environments on Creativity.

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Cognitive Science
• Human-Computer Interaction

Background:

• Restorative environmental theory posits that nature and certain environments can restore cognitive function.
• Virtual Reality (VR) offers a novel medium for creating immersive restorative experiences.
• Understanding the impact of VR on creativity is crucial for designing effective digital environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the influence of virtual restorative environments on individual creativity.
• To compare the effects of interactive versus non-interactive VR restorative experiences.
• To explore the relationship between presence, sensory fidelity, and creativity in VR.

Main Methods:

• Utilized virtual reality (VR) technology to construct interactive and non-interactive restorative environments.
• Recruited 72 college students as participants.
• Employed psychological scales, creativity tests, and electroencephalogram (EEG) feedback to collect data.

Main Results:

• VR restorative environment experiences significantly improved individual creativity, especially cohesion.
• Participants reported a strong sense of presence in the VR environments.
• Non-interactive garden exploration scenes promoted creativity more effectively than interactive scenarios, likely due to reduced cognitive load.

Conclusions:

• Virtual restorative environments can positively impact creativity and presence.
• The level of interactivity in VR restorative environments is a critical factor influencing cognitive load and creative performance.
• Free-exploration, non-interactive natural scenes in VR appear most conducive to fostering creativity.