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coherent set of stimuli or meaningfully related activities or events (Witmer et al., 2005).
This implies that consumers not only feel enveloped but remain fully concentrated on the experience and happily engrossed in brand interactions such that time passes quickly (Dwivedi, 2015) and the person digests stimulation as their own thoughts.
In our study, the difference between immersion and absorption is the degree to which users perceive and internalize the stimuli they are exposed to.
2.4 Priming Effect
Priming is a non-conscious form of human memory, concerned with perceptual identification of words and objects which has only recently been recognized as separate from other forms of memory (Tulving & Schacter, 1990). It is a technique whereby exposure to one stimulus influences a response to a subsequent stimulus, without conscious guidance or intention. For example, the word “gift” is recognized more quickly following the word “Christmas” than following the word “noodles.” This priming effect may be activated automatically from memory on the mere observation of an affect-loaded stimulus (Hermans et al., 1994).
Apart from memory, content also matters. Priming is used in marketing (Franklin
& Richardson, 2002) and advertising (Harris et al., 2009). For example, when we see Michael Jordan, Nike always comes to mind. Because of the advertising effect, priming might help people have more feelings toward a story. Our study also focused on understanding the priming effect in NPM’s VR exhibition.
Chapter 3. Research Framework
Following the discussions above, our research framework is presented in Figure 3.
We wanted to help NPM evaluate the success of their VR exhibition, so the overall
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performance of the museum is highly relevant. According to the technique of Johnson and colleagues (2006), we measured NPM performance by the degrees of referrals and other influence. Referral states to the extent to which people would refer others and raise their interest. Influence denotes the extent to which people share and discuss their NPM experience.
Figure 3. Research Framework based on NPM’s exhibition.
3.1 Effects of VR Design Features
For technical design factors, numerous studies have shown that interactivity (Mütterlein, 2018), vividness (Yim et al., 2017), and realism (McGloin et al., 2015) all could facilitate immersion. We decided that interacting without delay, multi-sensory fidelity, and authentic scenes would bring users higher quality of VR experience and make people much more involved in the atmosphere created by NPM’s artifacts. Thus, the following hypotheses were posed.
H1a. The degree of interactivity is positively related to the extent of immersion in VR experience.
H2a. The degree of vividness is positively related to the extent of immersion in VR
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experience.
H3a. The degree of realism is positively related to the extent of immersion in VR experience.
Also, interactivity (Lowry, 2017), vividness (Wild et al., 1995), and realism (Tseng, 2018) have a beneficial impact on perceived absorption. Based on good quality at the technical level, it may be easier to remember the details of experience which then become part of our own knowledge. In other words, we might memorize the experience unconsciously. Thus, the following hypotheses are presented.
H1b. The degree of interactivity is positively related to the extent of absorption in VR experience.
H2b. The degree of vividness is positively related to the extent of absorption in VR experience.
H3b. The degree of realism is positively related to the extent of absorption in VR experience.
Regarding story design factors, the goal of VR storytelling is to tell a story that will stimulate emotions that influence asction (Shin et al., 2017). In NPM’s case, we wanted to know whether storytelling would stimulate emotions and enhance users’
intentions. Since a good story causes receivers’ intention (“Narrative Persuasion 3:
Transport and Immersion in Meta,” n.d.), and also story line benefits absorption (Cooper et al., 2018), thus our hypotheses are highly possible to hold.
According to the Transportation Theory, when people lose themselves in a story, their attitudes and intentions change to reflect that story. Narrative transportation is a form of experiential response to narratives and thus is similar to other constructs, such as absorption, optimal experience or flow, and immersion. An appealing story line and dramatic sequencing enrich transportation (Larkey & Hecht, 2010). Lee (2017) also found that storytelling can have a positive relationship with transportation, that is, with
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the experiential response of immersion and absorption (Lee et al., 2017). Thus, the final hypotheses are stated below.
H4a. The degree of storytelling content is positively related to the extent of immersion in VR experience.
H4b. The degree of storytelling content is positively related to the extent of absorption in VR experience.
We hypothesized that storytelling with a favorable technical base would positively drive and stimulate a feeling of immersion and absorption, which would then enhance the experience of NPM.
3.2 Effects of VR Experience
For the UX, immersion and absorption both represent the psychological state of perceiving oneself to be enveloped by, included in, and interacting with VR.
Emphasizing the state of full concentration, absorption represents greater immersion in VR. A visitor would experience a deep impression on the mind when they reach absorption (Parker & Smith, 2014). In Janinasaarnio’s physical mind map of the cycle of immersion, we might find that immersion helps to foster absorption (Janinasaarnio, 2017). Thus, we hypothesize that:
H5. A higher level of immersion is positively associated with the extent of absorption in VR experience.
Past research indicates that immersion (Mütterlein & Hess, 2017) and absorption (Magni et al., 2010) both create users’ intention. This means that the more immersive NPM’s VR is, the more people will feel engaged in the exhibition. This would then enhance the idea that VR is cool and fantastic and stimulate users’ intention to talk about the experience enthusiastically. We believe absorption will arouse people’s
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emotions, thoughts, and desire to know more and will motivate them to make good comments and recommend others to try NPM’s VR exhibit. Thus, we hypothesize the following.
H6. A higher level of immersion will be positively associated with NPM performance.
H7. A higher level of absorption will be positively associated with NPM performance.
3.3 Priming Effects
Experience can be improved by telling a pre-immersion “background story” and by giving the guest a concrete goal to perform in the VR session (Pausch et al., 1996).
Pausch made the point that “Guests need a background story.” Also, Johnson (1982) states that building background knowledge can help reading comprehension. In Rühlemann’s book, he mentions the priming effect of storytelling (Rühlemann, 2013).
When we consider that a better understanding of the exhibition would allow a participant to gain a more favorable impression of our story and help them get into the story, this is how storytelling causes more immersion. Yi (1991) has discussed how the priming effect has been useful in advertising, which proved that priming is an advertising asset. It would benefit storytelling to create the desire of absorbing more knowledge. Thus, we added priming as our moderator and propose these hypotheses.
H8a. The greater the degree of priming effects, the larger the impact of storytelling on immersion.
H8b. The greater the degree of priming effects, the larger the impact of storytelling on absorption.
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