Investigating Aesthetic Emotions in Virtual and Real Environments

PRIN: PROGETTI DI RICERCA DI RILEVANTE INTERESSE NAZIONALE – Bando 2022 Prot. 2022NWRENN

Partners

• Research Center in Communication Psychology (PSICOM), Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore
• Physiology, Emotion, Experience Lab (PHEEL), Politecnico di Milano

Duration: October 2023 - September 2025

Goals

Interest in virtual reality (VR) has surged in recent years, driven by advances in software and hardware, lower costs, and increased investments from tech giants. VR applications now span diverse fields—from entertainment and design to healthcare and marketing. However, despite this rapid evolution, research on VR and emotions remains in its infancy. Notably, the distinction between "virtual" and "real" emotional experiences lacks systematic investigation. This knowledge gap poses a significant challenge to the successful and safe implementation of the Metaverse. Understanding virtual emotions and their motivational and behavioral consequences in real life is crucial for designing effective VR applications. As the Metaverse economy emerges, there's a growing need to equip VR researchers and designers with theory-driven, evidence-based guidelines. These guidelines will help create applications that can evoke complex emotional experiences, such as aesthetic emotions, and accurately assess their impact on users.

Objectives

1. Providing a systematic analysis of the literature concerning emotions and VR
2. Carrying out three studies to investigate the emotional profile of virtual and real environments
3. Developing recommendation and design guidelines to help VR developers to improve the efficacy of virtual experiences

Methodology

The project will conduct both basic and applied research activities, aiming to provide theoretical grounding, empirical evidence, and concrete guidelines for designing emotionally engaging virtual experiences. These experiences can inspire curiosity and engagement with environmental issues, as well as other domains such as education and cultural heritage.

The research methodology will combine multiple approaches:

• Quantitative methods: Using psychophysiological measures (e.g., EEG, heart rate variability) to objectively assess emotional responses in both virtual and real environments.
• Qualitative methods: Conducting in-depth interviews and focus groups to gather rich, descriptive data about participants' subjective experiences.
• Mixed-methods approach: Integrating quantitative and qualitative data to provide a comprehensive understanding of aesthetic emotions in virtual and real settings.