Virtual Reality and Emotional Responses: A Comprehensive Literature Review on Theories, Frameworks, and Research Gaps

¹ Faculty of Computing and Informatics, Universiti Malaysia Sabah, 88400 Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.
² Department of Informatics, Faculty of Engineering, Universitas Muhammadiyah Malang, Malang, Indonesia.
³ Department of Computing, Universiti Tenaga Nasional, Putrajaya Campus, Jalan Kajang - Puchong, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

^* Corresponding author: awgasri@ums.edu.my

Abstract

This extensive literature review examines virtual reality (VR) and emotional responses, including theories, paradigms, and research gaps. Foundational to VR is its ability to evoke profound emotional involvement through heightened presence. The study synthesizes presence theory, appraisal theory, and transportation theory to explain how they affect virtual emotional experiences. It also examines affective computing and multisensory integration frameworks for emotional design for VR and their importance in creating emotionally engaging VR experiences. Furthermore, the study highlights key research gaps and issues in the field. These include individual variances in emotional responses, the undiscovered long-term effects of repeated VR exposure, and ethical issues surrounding emotion manipulation and user permission. To fill these gaps, computer science, psychology, and allied sciences should work together to comprehend the complex relationship between VR and human emotions. The ethical, theoretical, and practical aspects of VR’s emotional landscape are explored in this synthesis to guide future research.