Autonomy and Mindfulness in VR Sandbox
Aribah Zaman, Yiyang Zu, Haziel de Oliveira, Mariam Fatima.
Fall 2024
Abstract
Research shows VR can enhance mindfulness training and meditation,
particularly in nature-based environments [1].
VR's visual and auditory elements help users focus on the present moment [2],
while mindfulness itself improves well-being, emotional regulation [3],
and reduces stress and anxiety [4].
However, research hasn't examined how VR design elements, especially user control,
affect mindfulness. This pilot study will investigate whether VR sandbox environments can
facilitate mindfulness practices, measuring outcomes through presence and anxiety levels,
with particular focus on how user control impacts the experience. Ten participants were divided into control and no-control conditions,
with two females and three males per condition. Prior to VR experience, participants completed the State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI)
for baseline measurement. The “Has control” group selected from four environments (daytime forest, sunset forest, sunset mountains, or nighttime mountains). They were able to move freely within their chosen scene.
“No control” group was placed in a randomly selected environment without movement abilities.
All participants listened to identical guided meditation audio with breathing exercises.
Participants completed both the STAI and Presence Questionnaire following the VR experience.
Sessions conclude with debriefing discussions. The results suggest that having autonomy over the VR environment
significantly enhances mindfulness experiences. This aligns with fundamental mindfulness principles where personal
agency and conscious choice play crucial roles in maintaining present-moment awareness.
However, the relationship between autonomy and immersion appears more complex, with zero to minimally negative correlation,
suggesting that autonomy might slightly decrease presence in the virtual environment. The higher variability in immersion scores
for the autonomy group might indicate that different participants utilize autonomy features differently, or they could spot the “incongruencies”
in the VR environment easilier.
The discrepancy between mean and median scores in the immersion data suggests that individual differences play a substantial role in how autonomy affects presence.
Meanwhile, we received positive feedback on the guided meditation, which could have constituted an inalienable part to the conducted mindfulness practice.
- [1] Ma, Jingni, et al. “The Effectiveness of Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) Based Mindfulness Training on Improvement Mental-Health in Adults: A Narrative Systematic Review.” EXPLORE, Elsevier, 5 Aug. 2022, www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1550830722001227.
- [2] Seabrook, Elizabeth, et al. “Understanding How Virtual Reality Can Support Mindfulness Practice: Mixed Methods Study.” Journal of Medical Internet Research, U.S. National Library of Medicine, 18 Mar. 2020, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7113800/.
- [3] Keng, Shian-Ling, et al. “Effects of Mindfulness on Psychological Health: A Review of Empirical Studies.” Clinical Psychology Review, U.S. National Library of Medicine, Aug. 2011, www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3679190/.
- [4] Bartlett, Larissa, et al. “Mindfulness Is Associated with Lower Stress and Higher Work Engagement in a Large Sample of MOOC Participants.” Frontiers, Frontiers, 16 Aug. 2021,.
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