Ways of Seeing Matter: The Impact of a Naturally Mapped Perceptual System on the Persuasive Effects of Immersive Virtual Reality Advertising

Abstract

This study examines whether the naturalness of a device’s perceptual system, which defines the way users look around in the virtual environment, influences the persuasive effects of immersive virtual reality (IVR) advertising. In a between-subject experiment (N = 115), participants watched a 360-degree advertisement using one of three devices with different perceptual systems (a head-mounted display [HMD], a tablet, or a desktop computer, representing high, medium, and low naturalness respectively). The results revealed that participants who watched IVR advertising using a more naturally mapped perceptual interface (i.e., an HMD) reported higher levels of perceived naturalness than did those who used devices lower in naturalness (i.e., a tablet or a desktop computer). The use of a perceptual system with a higher level of natural mapping positively affected the sense of presence, which in turn enhanced advertising enjoyment and further improved the effects of IVR advertising, thereby yielding a three-step serial mediation model.

Keywords:

• Enjoyment
• Immersive Virtual Reality
• Natural Mapping
• Persuasive Effect
• Presence

Acknowledgments

We also thank Yu-Fan Chen, Fang-Yu Chang, Jui Wang, and Mei-Hsin Wu for assisting with the data collection, as well as the VR Advertising Service Team in hTC for assisting with the production of stimulus material in the experiment.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology [#103-2628-H-009 −002 -SS4].