User Experience of Virtual Human and Immersive Virtual Reality Role-Playing in Psychological Testing and Assessment: A Case Study of ‘EmpathyVR’

Recent immersive virtual reality (IVR) technologies provide users with an enhanced sense of spatial and social presence by integrating various modern technologies into virtual spaces and virtual humans (VHs). Researchers and practitioners in psychology are attempting to understand the psychological processes underlying human behavior by allowing users to engage in realistic experiences within illusions enabled by IVR technologies. This study examined the user experience of role-playing with VHs in the context of IVR-based psychological testing and assessment (PTA) with a focus on EmpathyVR, an IVR-based empathy-type assessment tool developed in an interdisciplinary project. This study aimed to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of integrating IVR-based role-playing with VHs into PTA by examining user immersion, embodiment, and satisfaction. A mixed-method approach was used to collect data from 99 Korean adolescents. While the participants reported high levels of immersion and satisfaction, the sense of embodiment varied across the correspondents, suggesting that users may have had disparate experiences in terms of their connection to the virtual body. This study highlights the potential of IVR-based role-playing with VHs to enhance PTA, particularly in empathy-related assessments, while underscoring areas for improvement in user adaptation and VH realism. The results suggest that IVR experiences based on role-playing with VHs may be feasible for PTA to advance user experience and engagement.