Gosh! It is truly happening to me: Embodying adverse health outcomes through immersive virtual reality to promote perceived risk and healthy behaviors

IF 9 1区心理学 Q1 PSYCHOLOGY, EXPERIMENTAL

Computers in Human Behavior Pub Date : 2025-07-08 DOI:10.1016/j.chb.2025.108749

Dai-Yun Wu , Jih-Hsuan Tammy Lin

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

This study investigated the unique affordances of virtual reality technology, distinguishing it from other media formats in facilitating the subjective embodiment of physical sensations and health risk perceptions. Employing a between-subjects experimental design (N = 94), this study compared the impacts of embodying macular degeneration symptoms through virtual reality with those of a personal computer simulation. This investigation aimed to assess how VR-enabled embodied experiences affect risk perception and promote healthy behaviors. The results demonstrated that VR embodiment significantly enhanced perceived susceptibility to macular degeneration, as mediated by the illusion of virtual body ownership. This heightened risk perception led to immediate improvements in participants’ intentions to engage in healthy behaviors and was observed to significantly influence actual health-related behaviors two weeks post-exposure. This study reveals potential underlying mechanisms through which VR embodiment effects manifest, thereby offering new insights into how VR can be harnessed as a potent tool in health communication.

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天啊!这真的发生在我身上：通过沉浸式虚拟现实体现不良健康后果，以促进感知风险和健康行为

本研究探讨了虚拟现实技术在促进身体感觉和健康风险感知的主观体现方面与其他媒体格式的区别。采用受试者间实验设计（N = 94），本研究比较了通过虚拟现实体现黄斑变性症状与个人计算机模拟的影响。本研究旨在评估虚拟现实的具身体验如何影响风险感知和促进健康行为。结果表明，VR体现显着增强了对黄斑变性的感知易感性，这是由虚拟身体所有权的错觉介导的。这种增强的风险感知导致参与者参与健康行为的意图立即得到改善，并观察到在暴露后两周显著影响实际与健康相关的行为。这项研究揭示了虚拟现实体现效应的潜在潜在机制，从而为如何利用虚拟现实作为健康交流的有力工具提供了新的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

Computers in Human Behavior Multiple-

CiteScore

19.10

自引率

4.00%

发文量

381

审稿时长

40 days

期刊介绍： Computers in Human Behavior is a scholarly journal that explores the psychological aspects of computer use. It covers original theoretical works, research reports, literature reviews, and software and book reviews. The journal examines both the use of computers in psychology, psychiatry, and related fields, and the psychological impact of computer use on individuals, groups, and society. Articles discuss topics such as professional practice, training, research, human development, learning, cognition, personality, and social interactions. It focuses on human interactions with computers, considering the computer as a medium through which human behaviors are shaped and expressed. Professionals interested in the psychological aspects of computer use will find this journal valuable, even with limited knowledge of computers.