Impact of interaction on awe experience in virtual environments: a comparative study of interactive and non-interactive conditions

Abstract

Awe refers to a complex emotion that is a mixture of surprise and fear when a human encounters a great or mysterious object, which is an important emotion that can be felt in a virtual environment these days. While there have been researches on audiovisual elements or narrative inducing awe, the impact of interactions on awe remains underexplored. To address the gap, this study delves into the influence of exploratory interaction of first-person navigation and object manipulation on awe experiences in a three dimensional virtual environment. A total of 41 participants watched a video prototype and played an interactive prototype in the identical-audiovisual 3D environment. Self-reported data of awe surveys and semi-structured interviews were recorded to measure their level of awe. We conducted comparative analysis to elucidate the distinct characteristics and pros and cons of exploration interaction in a virtual environment in terms of inducing awe. Results indicate that active exploratory interaction can intensify the experience of awe, particularly among individuals with a predisposition toward positive emotional states. In addition, navigation and object-manipulation interactions in three-dimensional virtual spaces are found to bring a high-quality awe experience. This study highlights the crucial importance of interaction in creating awe experiences, and it can also guide game design strategies, offering insights into how certain types of exploratory interaction can successfully induce awe.