How preadolescents and adults remember and experience virtual reality: The role of avatar incarnation, emotion, and sense of presence

Abstract

Incarnate bodies in the first-person view in virtual reality, especially with a head-mounted display, could impact cognitive processes relying on self-representation, such as memory, emotion, or sense of presence. The goal of this study is to investigate these effects by comparing adults’ and preadolescents’ behaviors. We manipulated incarnation by presenting the experience with or without an avatar (full-body avatar versus VR controllers), while manipulating emotion with presented stimuli. 40 adults and 32 preadolescents were both divided into two experimental groups (avatar versus no-avatar). Valence, arousal, and presence were self-evaluated, and a free recall task was performed. Physiological measurements were carried out to add objective support for our findings. We showed an emotional enhancement of memory in both age groups. Importantly, embodying an avatar permitted preadolescents to have the same memory performance than adults. Memory was predicted by valence and head movements in adults, but no predictors were found for preadolescents. Overall, preadolescents rated virtual environments as more arousing, more positive, and inducing more presence than adults. Surprisingly, avatar incarnation did not impact these measures, we propose that immersion at a sensorimotor level is a more crucial component than incarnation.