Incorporating Virtual Reality in Public Health Campaigns: COVID-19 as the Context

IF 3 2区社会学 Q2 COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS

Social Science Computer Review Pub Date : 2023-06-21 DOI:10.1177/08944393231185257

Zhan Xu, Veronica U. Weser, Luluo Peng, Mary Laffidy

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

One of the greatest challenges for public health campaigns is communicating health risks due to the existence of psychological distance. Using COVID-19 as a context, this study designed and tested virtual reality (VR) campaigns based on construal level theory. It assessed the immediate and after-effects of VR on COVID-19 preventive intentions/behaviors and risk perceptions. A total of 120 participants were randomly assigned to see one of four messages: a VR message emphasizing self-interest, a VR message emphasizing other-interest, a print message emphasizing self-interest, or a print message emphasizing other-interest. Preventive intentions/behaviors were assessed at three different times: before, immediately after, and one week after the experimental treatment. Immediately following message exposure, participants exposed to the VR messages perceived a higher level of self-risk than those exposed to print messages. Disgust and fear mediated these effects. One week following message exposure, unvaccinated participants exposed to the VR messages had a higher intention to get vaccinated than those exposed to print messages. Recommendations on how to effectively utilize VR in health interventions are provided.

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将虚拟现实融入公共卫生运动：以新冠肺炎为背景

公共卫生运动面临的最大挑战之一是沟通由于心理距离的存在而带来的健康风险。本研究以新冠肺炎为背景，设计并测试了基于建构层面理论的虚拟现实（VR）活动。它评估了VR对新冠肺炎预防意图/行为和风险认知的直接和事后影响。共有120名参与者被随机分配观看四条信息中的一条：强调自身利益的虚拟现实信息、强调其他兴趣的虚拟现实消息、强调自我利益的印刷信息或强调其他利益的印刷消息。在三个不同的时间评估预防意图/行为：实验治疗前、治疗后立即和治疗后一周。信息暴露后，暴露于VR信息的参与者比暴露于打印信息的参与者感知到更高水平的自我风险。厌恶和恐惧介导了这些影响。在信息暴露一周后，接触VR信息的未接种疫苗的参与者比接触打印信息的参与者更有接种疫苗的意愿。提供了关于如何在健康干预中有效利用虚拟现实的建议。

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

Social Science Computer Review 社会科学-计算机：跨学科应用

CiteScore

9.00

自引率

4.90%

发文量

审稿时长

>12 weeks

期刊介绍： Unique Scope Social Science Computer Review is an interdisciplinary journal covering social science instructional and research applications of computing, as well as societal impacts of informational technology. Topics included: artificial intelligence, business, computational social science theory, computer-assisted survey research, computer-based qualitative analysis, computer simulation, economic modeling, electronic modeling, electronic publishing, geographic information systems, instrumentation and research tools, public administration, social impacts of computing and telecommunications, software evaluation, world-wide web resources for social scientists. Interdisciplinary Nature Because the Uses and impacts of computing are interdisciplinary, so is Social Science Computer Review. The journal is of direct relevance to scholars and scientists in a wide variety of disciplines. In its pages you''ll find work in the following areas: sociology, anthropology, political science, economics, psychology, computer literacy, computer applications, and methodology.