VR or non-VR?:investigating influence of the virtual environment medium on persuasive gamification outcomes

Abstract In this paper, we aim to research how a choice of a gamification medium influences the users’ psychological and behavioral experiences which are also gamification outcomes. We discuss gamification, its components, persuasive systems, cognitive absorption, perceived persuasiveness of gamified systems, as well as the influence of the psychological constructs on intention to play the game and intention to engage in sustainable behavior. Since we take a look at two types of virtual environments (non-immersive and immersive), we include concepts relevant for choosing an appropriate platform, such as sense of presence and simulator sickness, both of which have a significant impact on user experience. Based on the discussed theoretical background, we propose a research framework and a list of hypotheses to be empirically tested. We describe an experimental set up to test the hypotheses within the context of pro-environmental behavior. Finally, we present potential contributions and limitations of this research-in-progress