This master's thesis describes the development and evaluation of a virtual reality based video game for the regulation of stress and anxiety.
The theoretical part defines the concept of virtual reality, its historical development and key concepts such as presence, immersion, flow and interactivity. It also describes the hardware and software used in virtual reality. This is followed by a review of related technologies, a presentation of the user experience in virtual reality, and a definition of the terms stress and anxiety. The final section of the theoretical part comprises a review of the state of research and a presentation of the MDA framework for game design.
The experimental part comprises a study of user needs and the development of a serious video game. First, we used semi-structured interviews to explore the sources of stress and the expectations of users. Based on the data obtained, we decomposed the game into measurable factors. We designed two scenarios with the same set and sequence of tasks, namely the reference scenario A and the relaxing scenario B. We developed the game in the Unity development environment, where we created our own 3D models, assembled the scenes of both scenarios and programmed the game logic. As part of the game evaluation, we examined the extent to which the video game relaxed the user.
The results of the SNRS-11 scale showed that the perceived level of stress decreased after both scenarios, with a greater decrease after the relaxing scenario. The UEQ questionnaire showed that the relaxing scenario was markedly more appealing to participants, while the GEQ questionnaire showed that the game did not place a burden on them. In the concluding discussion, all participants gave preference to the relaxing scenario.
The study demonstrated that a nature-based environment significantly contributes to a positive user experience and to a reduction in perceived stress, while the developed video game represents a starting point for the further development of a relaxation experience in virtual reality.
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