Stimulating Suspense in Gamified Virtual Reality Sports: Effect on Flow, Fun, and Behavioral Intention

Abstract

In this study, the effect of sense of suspense on flow experience, perceived fun in sports, and intention to use virtual reality platforms for the sport participation were examined. An experiment was implemented to compare gamified virtual reality experiences where a sense of suspense was stimulated by outcome uncertainty. Virtual reality sports content programmed with artificial intelligence was developed for experimentation. A multivariate analysis of covariance analysis was conducted to test established hypotheses. The experimental group with a higher sense of suspense presented higher flow, fun, and usage intention. While most studies have centered on one’s response to the entity that stimulates suspense, this study emphasizes the significance of gamification using suspense to induce targeted behavioral intentions. The authors further discuss the implications to scholars and practitioners.

Acknowledgments

Our research team would like to sincerely thank Dr. McNamara and her research team for creating and providing the gamified sport content used in this research.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Jun-Phil Uhm

Jun-Phil Uhm is a graduate student in Sport Management in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M University. His research interest is consumer behavior in the computer-mediated environment and neurophysiological approaches to behavioral science.

Sanghoon Kim

Sanghoon Kim is a graduate student in Sport Management in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M University. His research interest is consumer behavior in the computer-mediated environment, including social media, self-service technology, and virtual and augmented reality.

Hyun-Woo Lee

Hyun-Woo Lee (Ph.D., Florida State University) is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Sport Management at Texas A&M University. His research interests include human emotions and fan behavior, neurophysiological approaches to behavioral science, marketing and communication strategies, and sport consumer well-being.