The Effects of Virtual Reality Environments on Physiological Stress: A Platform Comparison Between Room-Scale Displays and Desktop Computers (MS Thesis Project)

April 26th, 2024

Categories: Applications, Human Factors, MS / PhD Thesis, Software, User Groups, Visualization, VR, VR Art, Human Computer Interaction (HCI)

The guided scenic meditation application deployed to the CAVE2, pictured on the left, and the desktop, pictured on the right.
The guided scenic meditation application deployed to the CAVE2, pictured on the left, and the desktop, pictured on the right.

Authors

Kamleh, F.

About

Studies have proven the effectiveness of mindfulness and forest-immersion therapy as an option for stress reduction. However, what happens when an individual is seeking stress relief but the outdoors is unavailable due to unpredictable weather or even a lack of accessibility? The purpose of this research project is to observe the effects of guided scenic meditation in a virtual reality environment on physiological stress. Additionally, it performs a platform comparison by deploying the same meditative experience and testing its effectiveness using a room-scale immersive environment and a desktop computer, as desktops ($400 - $1000) are far more affordable and widely available compared to room-scale immersive environments ($1 million+). Using each platform, twenty participants were asked to engage with a meditative application that simulates the sights, sounds, and smells of a forest environment. Based on the objective data collected, the participants experienced a decrease in both heart rate and blood pressure, demonstrating the effectiveness of the simulation in reducing physiological stress. However, the room-scale immersive environment proved to be more successful in reducing the heart rate than the desktop computer. Furthermore, according to the participants, their subjectively perceived stress levels decreased, resulting in a far more relaxed state than before. The results showcase that a virtual simulation of a real environment actively contributes to stress reduction and can be used in cases when the outdoors is unavailable. The platform comparison demonstrates that the product of the research - a guided scenic meditation application that simulates a forest - is accessible and does not require a million-dollar room-scale display in order to be effective in reducing stress.

Resources

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Citation

Kamleh, F., The Effects of Virtual Reality Environments on Physiological Stress: A Platform Comparison Between Room-Scale Displays and Desktop Computers (MS Thesis Project), Submitted in fulfillment of the Project Option Requirement for the MS in Computer Science, University of Illinois Chicago, April 26th, 2024.