A recent Murdoch University study suggests that virtual reality tools have significant untapped potential to generate positive emotional responses in fields such as education, healthcare, architecture, and psychological therapy. The research examined four key visual factors, along with related sub-factors, to understand how they influence realism and emotional engagement in virtual reality environments.
Murdoch University Ph.D. candidate and lead researcher Tom Goates explained that specific design features in virtual reality can trigger emotional reactions similar to those experienced in real-world settings.
He noted that earlier VR studies often concentrated on negative emotions like fear and anxiety, especially in entertainment applications, while little attention was given to how highly realistic, nature-based virtual environments might foster positive feelings.
How VR Design Evokes Calm, Awe, and Positive Emotions
Goates added that researchers now understand VR can evoke positive emotional states such as awe, joy, and calm, and that people increasingly value these effects for their psychological and therapeutic benefits.
Dynamic lighting can significantly promote a sense of calm, while large-scale natural forms such as mountains and trees can evoke awe. In addition, geometric adjustments may enhance comfort and visual harmony, further supporting relaxation.
He added that current understanding is still very limited, noting that virtual reality has vast, largely unexplored potential. The study reveals major gaps in how these visual sub-elements interact and shape emotional responses.
He emphasized the need for focused, design-driven research that combines psychological and physiological measurements to better understand VR design features. Such insights could enable practitioners to apply VR more effectively in areas such as mental health support, stress reduction, nature-based well-being, urban planning simulations, and immersive education.
In What Ways Visual Factors in VR Influence Emotional Responses
The paper, published in the International Journal of Human–Computer Interaction, examined four key visual components—geometry, lighting, material surfaces, and color—along with related sub-factors commonly linked to realism and emotional engagement in virtual reality settings.
These include elements such as scale and proportion in geometry, global illumination and shadow effects in lighting, reflections and surface textures in materials, and values and tones in color, all of which directly influence users’ emotional responses.
Overall, the study provides a foundational framework for understanding how visual design elements shape emotional engagement in virtual reality environments.
“Emotions play a crucial role in the VR experience, as they strongly affect user engagement, memory retention, and decision-making,” Goates said. “By filling these research gaps, we can not only enhance VR design but also broaden the potential for immersive experiences that support learning, social interaction, and overall well-being in more meaningful ways.”
The ongoing research could have implications for areas such as therapy, game development, and simulation-based applications, particularly where carefully designed environments that inspire calm or awe may offer significant benefits.
The researchers have also developed a framework for building hyper-realistic, nature-inspired virtual reality environments, which they presented last summer at the Artificial Intelligence and Virtual Reality (AIVR 2025) Conference in Osaka, Japan.
Read the original article on: Tech Xplore
Read more: A new generation is reviving the iPod for distraction-free listening