Interaction Ritual Chain Theory-Based Immersive Interaction Design for Cultural Heritage

Immersive technologies offer new possibilities for cultural heritage, yet their potential to foster social interaction, emotional connections, and cultural identity at cognate heritage sites remains underexplored. Based on Interaction Ritual Chain (IRC) theory, this study developed an emotional design model translating “co-presence,” “mutual focus,” and “shared emotion” into immersive interaction strategies. Using the Beijing and Xi'an Drum Towers as cases, we developed the “Resonance of Bells and Drums” system and evaluated it through a between-subjects experiment. Results showed the proposed model significantly outperformed the control condition in emotional energy, cultural identity, and behavioral intentions, demonstrating its effectiveness in fostering cross-regional emotional connections. The ablation conditions further revealed patterns of association between different design modules and immediate experiential and delayed outcomes. This study provides empirical support for applying IRC theory to digital heritage design and offers a reusable model for cognate cultural heritage dissemination.