Does the Need for Control Hinder Sense of Presence in Virtual Reality?

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality

Background:

• Virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in mental health, but individual responses vary significantly.
• The sense of presence in VR is crucial for intervention effectiveness.
• Personality traits may influence the sense of presence, impacting VR efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the relationship between the need for control and the sense of presence in virtual reality.
• To test the hypothesis that a higher need for control is associated with lower presence levels in VR.

Main Methods:

• 40 adult participants completed validated questionnaires assessing personality traits and sense of presence.
• Participants engaged in a virtual reality immersion experience.
• Statistical analyses were performed to examine correlations between variables.

Main Results:

• The need for control positively influenced the sense of presence in VR, contradicting prior literature.
• This finding suggests a complex interaction between personality and VR experience.

Conclusions:

• The study challenges existing theories by finding a positive correlation between the need for control and VR presence.
• An innovative theoretical model is proposed to explain how the desire for control affects presence in different immersive conditions.
• Further research is needed to explore these nuanced relationships in VR interventions.