Pilot Study of the Effects of Supraliminal Bipolar Primes on Occupational Educators ’ Viewing Time and Perceived Confidence with Desktop Virtual Reality

Virtual reality (VR) has been demonstrated to offer learning benefits over traditional instructional methods in many technical and occupational areas. However, in the framework of Rogers’ innovation diffusion theory, adoption of VR in Career and Technical Education and occupational programs appears to be lagging. This study used experimental methodology to test the possibility of positively influencing the dispositions of occupational educators toward desktop VR through application of prime theory in a context of supplantation and technology self-efficacy theory. Supraliminal bipolar primes were used to test whether a positive disposition more conducive to VR adoption could be created in a sample of 30 occupational educators prior to introduction of a desktop VR presentation, with “disposition ” defined as a pair of specific performance measures. Intended as a pilot study, this inquiry used ANOVA and correlation statistical analyses to produce sufficient indications of relationships between positive primes, VR viewing time, and perceived confidence in VR to merit recommendation of further investigation