Virtual Reality And 360 Degrees Panorama Technology: A Media Comparison To Study Changes In Sense Of Presence, Anxiety, And Positive Emotions

Recently, 360 degrees panorama technologies have been used to create videos and pictures of real and virtual environments, thus opening new possibilities for psychological research. The aim of this study is to compare a 360 degrees real panorama environment to a computer-simulated one to verify if they are equally efficient in generating sense of presence, emotions, and relaxation in individuals. The study employs a 3 x 2 mixed factorial design. Forty participants took part in the study and were assessed on self-reported anxiety and mood levels before and during the virtual reality (VR) experience of a relaxing video in computer graphics or shot in 360 degrees. After the experience, sense of presence and experience ratings were also collected. Heart rate data during the experience were also used. Both inferential and Bayesian analyses showed a lack of effect of the manipulation: there is no difference between a 360 degrees panorama environment and a simulated environment in generating sense of presence, anxiety reduction, and in improving emotional states. These results highlight the feasibility of using a 360 degrees real panorama VR if the participants' task is passive and requires no active exploration of the environment, as the development of the 360 degrees video is easier and cheaper than the one required by a computer-simulated environment.