User testing consisted of three parts. In the first part the user was given the VR experience and was asked to interact with the interactable props in the scene, and navigate themselves onto each scene.
The second part was an experimental data collection part of the project. The user was provided with four sheets of paper, a collection of geometric shapes, and a collection of color pens. Each sheet of paper represented one of the scenes in the experience. In other words, sheet number 1 represented scene number 1. Their task was to choose a minimum of one geometric shape for each sheet. Then, draw the perimeter of the shape(s) on the sheet. With the colors available, draw and/or write anything that came to their minds when they thought of that scene; inside the surface area of the shape(s).
The third part was a form handed to the users a few days after the completion of part 1 & 2 that included a video walkthrough of the experience to restore their memories, and questions about their own interpretations of the experience.
Results:
First is scene 1, where most participants used words such as panic, unsettling, angst, shock, and disgust when asked to describe their emotional states whilst in that scene. Although usage and meaning of words can be very subjective it is fai to suggest that a scene that represents the whole ‘madness’ of the pandemic can induce emotions like those described by the participants. In terms of whether the stimuli were too much, participants mentioned that the coughing sound in an interaction did make them feel a little too uncomfortable and disgusted. It is worth mentioning that many participants had a face of disgust when the coughing sound appeared.
Scene two represents the feeling of suffocation due to the lockdown. Quoting one participant “ I wanted to run away in general, almost social anxiety in a way, where it feels like there is a person in your personal space” whilst another said “Scene 2 was an emotional suffocation”. It is fair to claim that the second scene did in fact induce the feeling of suffocation. There was one user who claimed the sound in the scene was too much for them “Sound for sure, made me feel like I wanna leave”.
Moving on to scene 3 which represents the realization that the virus is not as scary and extreme as we initially thought. For this scene almost all participants used the word “calm” when describing their emotional state, specifically one participant described it as “calm, safe, and sterilized”. Scene 3 was purposefully not intense in sensory stimuli and so none of the participants felt uncomfortable.
Finally, most participants described scene 4 as “disgusting” except for one who also claimed that “scene 4 was a party of all kinds”. The final scene is meant to allow the user to lerp from grossness to fascination and it is in fact a germ playground. This suggests that the participants’ characterizations of both disgusting and party-like are in line with the purpose of scene 4. It should be noted that two participants said that the consistency and movement of the interactive green germ was too scary and disgusting.
Overall, the participants’ emotional states were in line with what each scene represented and intended to make the audience feel which suggests that VR can be a tool to elicit certain desired emotions through the use of sensory stimuli. It is also worth mentioning that each participant had their own limits of over stimulation; however, there were common opinions on certain stimuli that are a bit “too much”.
Limitations:
Of course, this study uses qualitative research methods for its findings, and although it questions and enables a deeper understanding into concepts and phenomena, it cannot be generalized to a universal level (especially given the small number of participants). The study is an artistic experiment where all participants are allowed to express themselves without the need for a specific meaning/connotation of both their creations and answers. The answer of each participant is completely subjective and the interpretation varies.
A limitation of this study is the demographic variation of the participants who took part in it. As mentioned above, the number of participants was small (five), and all belong either in my close group of friends or my workplace. All participants have had experience with virtual reality, live in the UK, and are in the age group of 23-26. This means that the participants are not by any means a representative sample of the general population.
Additionally, I myself will interpret the participant’s responses in my own biased way. The first bias present in my interpretation is confirmation bias, which is present because I will interpret the results to confirm my initial theory on emotions and sensory stimuli on each scene. In this case, confirmation bias comes hand-in-hand with selection bias, for the same reason. Finally, another bias is group bias that derives from the notion that all of the participants belong in my close circle (and are aware of the purpose of the project), that means that one’s responses may affect the other’s.
Finally, the experimental data collection part of the study must also be mentioned, as it was a creative experimental aspect meant to allow the participants to express their emotions in a different way, through shapes and colors. Of course this is a complementary data collection and cannot be interpreted accurately in any way. As mentioned above there are similarities in patterns, shapes, and colors, but obviously this is neither sufficient nor accurate data to draw any conclusions.
