The madness of Doubt

Final Major Project - Thesis / UAL 2021

Softwares: Unity, Tiltbrush, Blender



What

An interactive multi-sensorial VR prototype, serving as a social commentary on the pandemic's sociocultural impacts—especially on touch and affection. Its purpose extends beyond observation; it seeks to unfurl a sequence of emotions within users while understanding the link between sensory feedback and emotional intensity.

This creation isn't just an experiment—it's a canvas where emotions are painted through the fusion of audio, visual, and haptic sensations. By leveraging immersive technology, it channels the power of VR to unlock emotions, intricately intertwined with sensory stimuli.

It aims to induce emotions ranging from suffocation to realization, orchestrating an immersive journey that transcends the virtual realm.

Why

Objective: Unveiling COVID-19's Impact on Emotions Through VR

My motivation stemmed from my own emotional journey in the wake of COVID-19. I sought to compare my experience with others' and explore the potency of VR in evoking emotions

Why in VR : Opting for VR was strategic, as its arsenal of sensory cues—visual, haptic, and auditory—holds the key to emotions. VR's immersive realm seemed perfect for capturing and amplifying feelings.

In VR, the link between sensory cues and emotions is evident. As sensory inputs multiply—visuals, touch—the emotional spectrum deepens. A core tenet emerges: more sensory elements translate to richer emotions.


Process

Preliminary Questionnaire

I started this research by composing and distributing a preliminary questionnaire that had as backbone two hypotheses:

  1. The more affectionate the participant, the more chances they have to have experienced touch starvation symptoms during lockdown.

  2. An increase of touch aversion levels from human to human and from human to objects after the outbreak regardless of how affectionate someone is.

The results of this questionnaire are in line with my two initial hypotheses.

The Narrative

The narrative was not a traditional script/ A sequence of psychological states unfolding through audiovisual & haptic feedback in order to elicit emotions from the user.

Six psychological states:

  1. Madness of doubt: Translated in Scene 1 of the VR experience

  2. Suffocation: Translated in Scene 2 of the VR experience

  3. Societal mockery: Translated in Scene 3 of the VR experience

  4. Realization: Translated in Scene 3 of the VR experience

  5. Fascination: Translated in Scene 4 of the VR experience

  6. Grossness: Translated in Scene 4 of the VR experience


Scene 1

Scene 2

Scene 3

Scene 4

User Testing

The user testing consisted of three parts:

  1. In the first part, the user was provided with the VR experience and was asked to interact with the interactive props in the scene, as well as teleport around the scene.

  2. The second part was an experimental data collection part of the project. The user was provided with:

    • four sheets of paper,

    • a collection of geometric shapes,

    • and a collection of colour shapes.

    Each sheet of paper represented one of the scenes in the experience . In other words, sheet number 1 represented scene number 1. Their task was to choose a minimum of one geometric shape for each sheet. Then, draw the perimeter of the shape(s) on the sheet. Finally, using the available colours the participants were asked to draw and/or write anything that came to their minds when they thought about that scene (inside the surface area of their chosen shapes).

  3. The third and final part was a form handed to the participant a few days after the completion of parts 1 & 2. The form included a video walkthrough of the experience to restore the participant’s memory and follow-up questions focused on the participant’s personal interpretation of the experience.


Takeaway

Key Insights: Unveiling the Potential of Sensory Stimuli in VR

While the immersive Virtual Reality (VR) experience offers a glimpse into a new dimension of sensory exploration, it's important to acknowledge the limitations of the environment. The confined scope restricted the sensory input to what VR could deliver. An intriguing avenue for future exploration would involve revisiting this experiment within a dynamic setting that integrates tangible sensory elements alongside VR's virtual world.

The data collected from the experiment, albeit insightful, doesn't attain the magnitude required for making conclusive research claims. Nonetheless, the VR experience succeeded in evoking profound emotional responses within the participant—a testament to the power of sensory stimuli embedded within it.

Prompted by these findings, a thought emerges: Can we quantify the threshold of "successful" sensory stimuli in a VR experience, contingent upon its thematic focus? This inquiry opens a doorway to unraveling the intricate relationship between sensory immersion and the desired impact of the VR journey.

As the realm of VR advances, these revelations urge us to probe deeper into the orchestration of sensory engagement, bridging the gap between immersive technology and human perception.