The Influence of Body Position on Presence When Playing a Virtual Reality Game

In this study, we explore how proprioception relates to the sense of presence in a virtual environment. To investigate this objective, we compared three body conditions (Standing vs. Sitting vs. Half-Sitting) to examine whether body position influences the level of presence when playing a virtual reality (VR) game. The results showed that participants who played the game in a standing position felt greater presence than those who were sitting or half-sitting, while the degree of presence was higher for sitting than for half-sitting participants. In addition, a correlation analysis of the control, sensory, and attention factor associated with presence revealed a strong connection between control and sensory factor, whereas attention factor was moderately linked to control and sensory factor. Based on these results, we may assume that variations in movement related to body position influence proprioception, which consequently affects the sense of presence. Overall, this study has confirmed the important association between body position and presence in VR.