The impact of VR environment for elderly short-form video viewers on flow and mental workload

Tang, Zhichuan; Ding, Yingjia; Tang, Ruoshen; Zhang, Lufang; Chen, Nuo · 2025 · Crossref

DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-6286033/v1

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Summary

This study investigates how virtual reality (VR) environments impact the flow experience and mental workload of elderly users (aged 50+) watching short-form videos, addressing a gap in research regarding immersive media consumption for older adults. The authors propose that while VR enhances telepresence through increased vividness and interactivity, it may simultaneously increase cognitive load, potentially impairing flow. To test this, the researchers conducted two experiments using a 2 (media type: VR vs. 2D) × 2 (content type: hedonic/scenery vs. utilitarian/educational) design. Experiment 1 employed a between-subjects questionnaire survey with 127 participants, analyzing data via structural equation modeling (SEM). Experiment 2 utilized a within-subjects design with 12 participants, incorporating electroencephalography (EEG) to objectively measure mental workload alongside subjective questionnaires. In Experiment 1, the results confirmed that VR significantly increased vividness and interactivity, which in turn amplified telepresence. This heightened sense of presence positively predicted flow experience, which subsequently increased user satisfaction. However, the impact of mental workload on flow was moderated by content type. For hedonic content (scenery), mental workload had no statistically significant effect on flow. In contrast, for utilitarian content (educational), mental workload exerted a significant negative effect on flow, suggesting that the cognitive effort required to process information in VR detracts from the immersive experience when the goal is learning rather than enjoyment. Experiment 2 validated these findings using EEG data, specifically analyzing event-related desynchronization (ERD) in alpha and theta bands as indicators of cognitive load. The EEG results corroborated the subjective reports, showing that VR environments induced higher mental workload compared to 2D screens, particularly when viewing educational content. The study concludes that VR short-form videos offer enhanced immersion and satisfaction for elderly users, but this benefit is contingent on content type. While VR is effective for hedonic, low-cognitive-load content like scenery, it may hinder flow for utilitarian content due to increased extraneous cognitive load. These findings imply that VR designers targeting elderly populations should tailor content complexity to media format, potentially reserving VR for experiential or entertainment purposes where high immersion is desired, while cautioning against using VR for information-dense educational material that may overwhelm older users’ cognitive resources.

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• workload measurement