Acute Effects Of Three Different Virtual Reality Exercises On College Students’ Situational Motivation

PURPOSE: The study explored the immediate effects of three types of virtual reality exercises on situational motivation in college students. METHODS: Seventy-one colleges students (29 female; Mage = 22.18 ± 0.24 years) were recruited for four 12-minute exercise sessions: 1) immersive VR biking using the VirZoom VR bike with PlayStation 4; 2) non-immersive VR biking A using an Xbox 360 on a Gamercize Bike, 3) non-immersive VR biking B on a Game Rider EZ Gaming Bike; and 4) traditional biking on a Spirit Fitness XBU55 Bike. The Situational Motivation Survey was administered following each session to measure intrinsic motivation (IM), identified regulation (IR), external regulation (ER), and amotivation. Prior VR experience was included as a covariate in an ANCOVA to analyze mean differences for all outcomes across the four sessions. RESULTS: Significant mean differences were observed for IM [F (3, 279) = 13.63, p = 0.001] and IR [F (3, 279) = 3.25, p = 0.022] across the four sessions. The IM for immersive VR biking (23.5 ± 0.62, 95% CI [22.3, 24.7]) was significantly higher than non-immersive VR biking A (19.4 ± 0.62, 95% CI [18.1, 20.6]), non-immersive VR biking B (19.8 ± 0.62, 95% CI [18.6, 21.0]), and traditional biking (18.2 ± 0.62, 95% CI [17.0, 19.4]). Similarly, IR for immersive VR biking (23.2 ± 0.46, 95% CI [22.3, 24.2]) was significantly higher compared to traditional biking (22.5 ± 0.46, 95% CI [21.6, 23.4]), with both exceeding non-immersive VR biking A (21.5 ± 0.46, 95% CI [20.6, 22.4]) and B (21.5 ± 0.46, 95% CI [20.6, 22.5]). The covariate was also significant [F (1, 279) = 5.55, p = 0.019], indicating that prior VR experience significantly influenced ER. CONCLUSIONS: College students exhibit higher levels of self-determined motivation (IM and IR) during immersive VR biking exercises compared to non-immersive VR or traditional biking exercises. Interestingly, prior VR experience emerged as a significant predictor of ER. Overall, immersive VR-based exercise appears to be an enjoyable and engaging approach to enhancing physical activity adherence in college students.