Effects of Digital Eco-Therapy and Virtual Reality Immersion on Psycho-Emotional State in Different User Groups

Virtual eco-therapy that implies engagement with 2D or 3D nature-themed digital content is gaining in popularity, but its neurophysiologic effects remain largely unexplored. Moreover, cognitive and even physical discomforts have been reported for certain user groups interacting with VR/AR, such as inexperienced or elder people. We performed experimental study with 23 subjects of different ages who experienced urban and natural surroundings in VR headsets (Oculus Rift S) and on a computer monitor (2D). We surveyed their psychometric data (emotional state and environmental identity) and registered brainwave activity with 64-channel electroencephalography (EEG). We found that natural stimuli caused higher Valence (positive emotions) and decreased EEG power in the frequency bands associated with stress and neurological disorders. The environmental identity index had an unexpected effect in young males, intensifying stress and task-solving in the "virtual forest". So, our conclusions included: 1) positive effect of natural stimuli on the psycho-emotional status, 2) age-, gender-, and personality-dependent impacts of nature-related digital content and 3) considerable impact of the VR immersion itself. We believe that our results might be of interest to digital content and interaction designers, as well as to VR/AR developers, who seek to make the technologies more universally accessible and beneficial.