The Perception of Space in Virtual Reality, Correlation Between Affordances and Spatial Presence

Abstract

Purpose: To explore the correlation between two concepts in the study of embodied perception in Virtual Reality (VR): affordances and spatial presence.Methodological design: It involved the review of literature on spatial presence and affordances in the fields of phenomenology and cognitive neuroscience, and an experiment with 30 participants using the Spatial Presence Experience Scale (SPES) proposed by Hartmann et al. (2016). Each participant tested 5 VR simulations and answered 5 questionnaires based on the SPES. This study proposes a model for the classification of types and subtypes of affordances in virtual reality.Results: The comparison of means between scores showed a positive correlation between possibilities for action and intensity of spatial presence. Data suggests motor affordances (navigational, goal-oriented and handle grasp types) intensify spatial presence. Frequency of videogame use was found unrelated to the intensity of spatial presence, but it showed an increase in user’s dexterity and the ease of perceiving affordance in virtual environments.Research limitations: The scope of this research is limited to describing the correlation between affordances and intensity of spatial presence in VR. Findings: These confirmed the hypothesis: more possibility types of affordances in VR result in a higher intensity of spatial presence.