Enhancing Well-Being: A Comparative Study of Virtual Reality Chromotherapy Rooms with Static, Dynamic, and Empty...

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Chromotherapy rooms (CRs) use colored lights to improve mood and health.
• Virtual reality chromotherapy rooms (VRCRs) offer flexible, cost-effective alternatives to physical CRs.
• Current VRCRs have limited applications and do not fully explore design potential.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the effectiveness of three VRCR designs: empty, static, and dynamic.
• To evaluate user experience, sense of presence, and stress levels across different VRCR conditions.
• To investigate the potential of VRCRs in enhancing well-being and engagement.

Main Methods:

• A between-subject experiment with 30 participants was conducted.
• Participants experienced three VRCR conditions: empty (blue void), static (abstract graphics), and dynamic (animated elements).
• Self-perceived questionnaires and a mathematical stress test were administered before and after VRCR exposure.

Main Results:

• The dynamic VRCR condition significantly increased the sense of presence.
• No significant differences in self-perceived stress levels were found across conditions.
• Participants in the dynamic condition reported higher engagement and involvement, perceiving shorter durations.

Conclusions:

• Dynamic VRCR designs enhance user presence and engagement, indicating their potential for well-being applications.
• VRCRs exhibit complex behaviors requiring further design research, especially for future widespread VR integration.
• The study highlights the need for continued investigation into VRCR design principles for optimal user experience.