Do You Feel the Same as I Do? Differences in Virtual Reality Technology Experience and Acceptance Between Elderly Adults and College Students

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) has been widely applied in medical health areas and the entertainment and tourism industries, in which elderly people are a primary target. However, most studies on VR have focused on how people respond to this new technology and its effects on younger generations. Our study explored the differences in VR experience and acceptance between elderly adults and college students. A mixed method approach including both experiments and in-depth interviews was applied in this study. Our results show that elderly adults reported a higher level of telepresence and stronger emotional responses than young adults in VR viewing regardless of the VR device. The ways in which elderly people processed and evaluated VR content and devices were different from those of young people. Elderly people reported more positive attitudes toward the video they watched than young people, but this did not necessarily lead to more positive attitudes toward the viewing experience.

Virtual Reality or Video-Based Self-Instruction: Comparing the Learning Outcomes of Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Training

“…In addition, the VR group had a lower willingness to rescue than the video group, which was inconsistent with our assumptions. The immersive and authentic experience made the participants more aware of the tension at an emergency scene, and over immersion might also increase their fear, as we found in another study [14]. This case may be a negative example of the results of some first-aid VR centers [32].…”

The Symbiosis of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy and Telemental Health: A Review

“…While the future is promising for VRET + TMH, there remains uncertainty about how acceptability and outcomes may vary by treatment populations, practitioner competencies, use cases, and ethics. Studies to date have not focused on diverse participant characteristics that may be relevant to risks and outcomes (Liu et al, 2020;Kaimara et al, 2021;Kothgassner and Felnhofer, 2021). TMH and VRET are not yet standard topics in professional education and training, which leaves providers with lingering hesitation (Cowan et al, 2019;Kourtesis et al, 2019;Hilty et al, 2020).…”

Uso de la Realidad Virtual Inmersiva en la salud del adulto mayor, Revisión sistemática

“…De los catorce artículos revisados, la mayoría se realizó en Taiwán (16,19,21,22) y China (23)(24)(25) . Cinco estudios fueron ensayos clínicos controlados (16,18,21,22,26) , cuatro emplearon diseños experimentales no controlados (14,19,25,27) y cinco métodos mixtos (15,17,20,23,24) .…”

“…De los catorce artículos revisados, la mayoría se realizó en Taiwán (16,19,21,22) y China (23)(24)(25) . Cinco estudios fueron ensayos clínicos controlados (16,18,21,22,26) , cuatro emplearon diseños experimentales no controlados (14,19,25,27) y cinco métodos mixtos (15,17,20,23,24) . La mayoría de las intervenciones se realizaron en AM sin enfermedades neurológicas y sin limitaciones motoras (14,15,17,18,20,(23)(24)(25)27) , solo un estudio se implementó en AM con sarcopenia (19) y tres en adultos con deterioro cognitivo leve (21,22,26) .…”

“…La duración de las intervenciones fue de 2 a 12 semanas (15-17, 19, 20-22, 25, 26) ; cuatro de los estudios consistieron en una sola sesión de intervención (14,18,23,24) . El promedio de tiempo de exposición real a los sistemas de RVI fue de 17 minutos por sesión.…”