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Crime Beyond Earth : An Experimental Virtual-Reality Study of Attitude, Concern, and Perceived Realism

Kanagasabai, Saranki (2025) Crime Beyond Earth : An Experimental Virtual-Reality Study of Attitude, Concern, and Perceived Realism.

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Abstract:This experimental study (N = 66) compared an immersive VR scenario with an equivalent written text scenario to determine how each medium influences attitudes, concerns, and perceived realism around space crime. Participants completed pre- and post-measures for attitude and concern; realism was assessed post-manipulation. VR participants reported significantly more positive attitudes than the text group, suggesting that immersion – presumably via stronger affective engagement – can intensify moral evaluations even in an unfamiliar domain. Concern increased among all participants, regardless of condition. Perceived realism remained relatively low and did not differ between conditions, but it did act as a moderator: higher perceived realism strengthened the impact of VR on attitude. Analysis of open-ended responses further showed that content coherence and personal relevance are crucial for credibility. Together, the results suggest that immersive media can influence moral attitudes provided that scenario content and context are credible. Follow-up research should manipulate narrative coherence, domain knowledge and repeated exposure to unravel the mechanisms behind these moral and affective effects.
Item Type:Essay (Bachelor)
Faculty:BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences
Subject:77 psychology
Programme:Psychology BSc (56604)
Link to this item:https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/106608
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