Measuring the Psychological Markers of Birds Encounter Using Virtual Reality Environments

Abstract

Interactions between humans and animals benefit human health and well-being. There has been little study on the effects of bird encounters on people. This study addresses this conceptual gap by analyzing the results of a between-subjects experiment with 136 undergraduate students who were randomly assigned to experience one of four 360 stereo panorama virtual environments representing four encounters, namely "bird depicted in images," "Birds in a Cage," "Watching Birds in Nature inside a path," and "Birds in nature." Following their encounter in a virtual environment, participants assessed their experience in terms of spatial awareness, emotions, psychological well-being, and connection to nature through the use of an online survey. Standard descriptive statistics, correlation, Kruskal–Wallis, and post hoc Bonferroni analysis are used in data analysis. The findings suggested that experiences with birds in open surroundings were more likely to affect participants' spatial perception, emotions, psychological health potentials, and connection to nature than encounters with birds in confined places. This study is critical for environmental awareness since maintaining biodiversity and wildlife is inextricably linked to the potential well-being and quality of life of the human population who are part of the ecosystem.