A study of the use of virtual reality headsets in Chinese adolescents with intellectual disability

Abstract

Background: Virtual reality technologies (VRTs) present many characteristics that can facilitate learning, especially in individuals with intellectual disabilities (ID). The VRT head-mounted display (HMD) has recently shown significant technological improvement. This study aims to prove the suitability of the newer commercially available VRT HMDs used in interventions for adolescents with ID in China. To this end, we explored the acceptance, immersion, and negative effects for adolescents with ID in a series of virtual environments.

Methods: Forty-nine adolescents with ID (33 boys and 16 girls, IQ < 70), aged 11 to 21, from three special schools participated in this study. Questionnaires, observations, and interviews were used to investigate their views while using a VR HMD.

Results: Our analysis found that most participants narrated a pleasant experience using HMD and a series of VR experiences and experienced a high level of immersion accompanied by low negative effects. In addition, our study found that the gender variable was independent of the acceptance of HMDs and the immersion experience.

Conclusions: Overall, this study suggests that the HMD is accepted by most Chinese adolescents with ID; thus, its application has great potential in China.

Keywords:

• Chinese adolescents
• intellectual disability
• virtual reality technology
• head-mounted display

Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank all participants of this study and the educational institutions that supported the recruiting of participants for this study, such as Xi’an Qizhi School, Special Education School of Chang’ an District, Special Education School of Zhouzhi District. In addition, we thank Special Education School of Mei County and Special Education School of Jingbian County for their help.We would also like to thank the 3D BUTFLY Company, which offered us the VR equipment, and their staff for their support. We are also grateful to Dr. Jane Lessiter and their laboratories for allowing us to use the ITC-SoPI.

Disclosure statement

The authors report no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This work was supported by the National Social Science Fund of China [grant number: 17XTY007], the Humanities and Social Sciences Fund of the Ministry of Education in China [grant number: 20YJA890019] and the Fundamental Research Funds For the Central Universities [grant number: 2020TS081].