Using Immersive Virtual Reality to Enhance Social Interaction Among Older Adults: A Cross-Site Investigation

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Virtual reality (VR) applications are increasingly being targeted toward older adults as a means to maintain physical and cognitive skills and to connect with others, especially during the coronavirus disease 2019 era. Our knowledge about how older adults interact with VR is limited, however, since this is an emerging area and the related research literature is still rather slim. The current study focused specifically on older adults’ reactions to a social-VR environment, examining participant’s views about the possibility of meaningful interactions in this format, the impacts of social-VR immersion on mood and attitude, and features of the VR environment that affected these outcomes. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS: The researchers designed a novel social-VR environment with features intended to prompt conversation and collaborative problem-solving among older adults. Participants were recruited from 3 diverse geographic locations (Tallahassee, FL; Ithaca, NY; and New York City, NY), and were randomly assigned to a partner from one of the other sites for social-VR interaction. The sample consisted of 36 individuals aged 60 and older. RESULTS: Reactions to the social VR were quite positive. Older adults reported high levels of engagement in the environment and perceived the social VR to be enjoyable and usable. Perceived spatial presence was found to be a central driver of positive outcomes. A majority of the participants indicated a willingness to reconnect with their VR partner in the future. The data also identified important areas for improvement that were of concern to older adults, such as the use of more realistic avatars, larger controllers more suited to aging hands, and more time for training/familiarization. DISCUSSION AND IMPLICATIONS: Overall, these findings suggest that VR can be an effective format for social engagement among older adults.