Perception and Decision-Making in Virtual Telepsychology Spaces and Professionals

Humans interact with virtual environments for a variety of purposes, and the use of telemedicine services and e-health platforms has become increasingly significant in recent years. Telepsychology is an emerging service and is understood as the provision of psychological aid and counseling through the use of telecommunication technologies. This study investigates the impact of visual backgrounds in a mental health simulation app and explores the decision-making of potential patients for telepsychology. In this experimental study, we developed an instrument to assess the preferences for manipulated features of photomontages and portraits. A total of 310 participants from diverse backgrounds were surveyed about their preferences regarding visual backgrounds and silhouettes for this hypothetical service, with key independent variables such as complexity, naturalness, and color hues being manipulated. Our findings represent the first example of data collected on background preferences in telepsychology. The results suggest a preference for backgrounds with medium complexity and naturalness for clinical settings. Additionally, we observed variations in preferences based on gender and age. These findings highlight the importance of customizing visual elements to enhance patient engagement in telepsychology.