Nature Engagement Outcomes of Viewing Nature Through a 360° Video or a Tablet Screen: Randomized Trial.

Background: Nature engagement, including affective and physical interactions with nature, is linked to a multitude of health and well-being benefits. Unfortunately, opportunities for engaging with nature are decreasing worldwide. University students, especially, are a demographic group that tends to engage little with nature. Immersive virtual nature (IVN; ie, digital nature content delivered through immersive devices, such as head-mounted displays) has been proposed as a medium to facilitate nature experiences and engagement. In recent years, 360° nature videos have emerged as an accessible way to create IVN content, although it is still unclear whether they can elicit presence and increase nature engagement to a greater extent than nature videos delivered through nonimmersive media.

Objective: We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of nature videos as a medium to promote nature engagement among university students, comparing devices with different levels of immersion. Specifically, 2 experimental conditions were tested: a 360° nature video delivered through a head-mounted display (IVN) and a matching video displayed on a tablet screen (nonimmersive virtual nature).

Methods: In total, 38 students were recruited at the library of a university campus and invited to participate in an organized hiking tour at the location displayed during the virtual nature experience. They were then randomized, using a random number generator, to either the IVN (n=20, 53%) or the nonimmersive virtual nature condition (n=18, 47%). Pre- and postexposure assessments of nature connectedness, intention to perform green exercise, intention to visit the hiking location, and intention to participate in the organized hiking tour were collected. Presence, cybersickness, and actual attendance on the tour were also assessed.

Results: A mixed ANOVA showed statistically significant pre- to postexposure assessment increases in nature connectedness (F_1,36=33.49; P<.001; η_p²=0.48); intention to perform green exercise (F_1,36=5.55; P=.02); intention to visit the hiking location (F_1,36=15.34; P<.001; η_p²=0.26); and intention to participate in the hiking tour (F_1,36=12.45; P=.001; η_p²=0.30). Both conditions were associated with medium to high ratings of "being there" and "sense of reality" but low ratings of "realism." The cybersickness levels were generally low. Of the 38 students, 6 (16%) participated in the organized tour. The mixed ANOVA found no statistical differences between the two conditions for any of the outcomes. The participants' changes in nature connectedness (ρ=0.35; P=.03) and attendance on the hiking tour (ρ=.37; P=.02) correlated with the presence item "being there."

Conclusions: This study provides novel evidence on the potential of virtual nature as a medium to improve nature engagement among university students, adding to the current debate on the effectiveness of 360° videos. These findings can inform future research as well as initiatives seeking to promote nature engagement.