Being where, with whom, and when it happens: spatial, interpersonal, and temporal presence while viewing live streaming of collegiate sports in virtual reality

Abstract

Introduction: Although virtual reality (VR) is most popularly known for its applications to gaming, other entertainment applications are increasingly being explored including in the sports media industry, but little research has so far examined the experiences induced by VR viewing of a live sporting event.Materials and methods: Participants (n = 93) were university students who were approached in the context of a field study from a nearby community eatery area on the university campus to watch brief segments of a 360° live stream of the home games of their university volleyball and basketball teams both while wearing and not wearing an inexpensive smart-phone based head-mounted display (HMD). Immediately afterward, participants then reported on their relative experience of spatial, interpersonal, and temporal presence, as well as their satisfaction-preference with each of the two viewing modalities, in response to brief face-valid screening questions.Results: The majority of participants experienced greater presence while wearing the VR headset, and approximately one in every two reported preferring to watch the games in VR. Participants’ experience of spatial presence independently correlated with preferring to watch the games in VR.Discussion: Media vendors should offer VR viewing of sports including via inexpensive, smart-phone mediated VR as an additional, cost-effective alternative means of heightening fans’ experience of virtual presence at the games when fans are unable to go to the games in person.

Teaching psychology in virtual reality 2: Wherever you learn, there you are.

“…The spatial and temporal presence questions were adapted from the survey used by Frewen et al (2022) as follows: “How much did you feel like you were in the same physical space or location as the one where the activity was taking place?” (Spatial presence), “How much did you feel like the activity was occurring in the present, rather than sometime in the past?” (Temporal presence). More, a face-valid question assessing social presence was introduced for the present study as adapted from Vincent and Frewen as follows: “How much did you feel like you were interpersonally a part of what was happening, as if the two of you were taking part in the activity together?” Vincent and Frewen (2023a). Participants were also asked straightforwardly about their perceived satisfaction (“How satisfied were you with this instructional format?”), perceived difficulty of each learning format (“How difficult did you find this activity?”), and any experience of nausea/disequilibrium (“Did you feel nauseous or unbalanced during the activity?”). All questions were answered on 11-point rating scales ranging from 0 ( not at all ) to 10 ( completely ).…”

“…More, a face-valid question assessing social presence was introduced for the present study as adapted from Vincent and Frewen as follows: "How much did you feel like you were interpersonally a part of what was happening, as if the two of you were taking part in the activity together?" Vincent and Frewen (2023a). Participants were also asked straightforwardly about their perceived satisfaction ("How satisfied were you with this instructional format?…”