Presence and Emotions in Playing a Group Game in a Virtual Environment: The Influence of Body Participation

Abstract

This study assesses the influence of body participation on the sense of presence and emotions, and the relationship between the two dependent variables in playing a group game in a virtual environment. A total of 56 volunteers were asked to play a virtual game in a 360-degree stereoscopic immersive interactive visualization environment using either body movement or a joystick. Presence was measured with the post hoc SUS Presence Questionnaire. The pictorial tool of Self-Assessment Manikin was employed for measuring emotions of arousal and valence. Both arousal and valence positively correlated with presence. However, body participation did not significantly affect reported presence or the above-mentioned emotions.