The Immersive Virtual Environment of the digital fulldome: Considerations of relevant psychological processes

Abstract

One of the most recent additions to the range of Immersive Virtual Environments has been the digital fulldome. However, not much empirical research has been conducted to explore its potential and benefits over other types of presentation formats. In this review we provide a framework within which to examine the properties of fulldome environments and compare them to those of other existing immersive digital environments. We review the state-of-the-art of virtual reality technology, and then survey core areas of psychology relevant to experiences in the fulldome, including visual perception, attention, memory, social factors and individual differences. Building on the existing research within these domains, we propose potential directions for empirical investigation that highlight the great potential of the fulldome in teaching, learning and research.