Emotion
Can virtual reality trigger awe and actual goose bumps?
Open access · cc by · source: Europe PMC
Immersive and personalized virtual reality can successfully trigger strong subjective feelings of awe as well as physical goose bumps, especially when users visit personally meaningful places.
Key findings
About 43.8% of the participants experienced physical goose bumps during their sessions, with 64% of these physical responses occurring during the personalized, self-selected environment. On average, participants rated their subjective feelings of awe at 79.7 out of 100. Subjective awe was significantly higher in those who had physical goose bumps, and participants who reported high feelings of humility also reported closely correlated high feelings of awe.
Methodology
To explore this, researchers recruited sixteen college students and local enthusiasts to experience Google Earth VR across four distinct 5-minute virtual settings. The setups included a structured color tour, a virtual visit to Vancouver, climbing Mount Everest, and exploring a personalized location of their own choosing. The researchers recorded real-time physical responses using a custom-built forearm webcam and collected subjective data through post-study questionnaires and interviews.
Limitations
The study's primary limitation is its very small sample of only sixteen participants, which severely limits the generalizability of the findings and the statistical power to detect subtle personality and gender differences. Additionally, because the order of the four virtual environments was fixed rather than randomized to prevent motion sickness, the researchers cannot rule out order effects, such as participants becoming more comfortable and thus more prone to awe over time. Finally, the use of handheld controllers occasionally disrupted the participants' sense of presence and immersion, highlighting that the technology itself can act as a barrier to experiencing full awe.
How this study connects
Role on claims
Each row is a claim on a concept or method page where this paper supports, challenges, or qualifies the statement. Roles are hand-checked — not a model guess.
Not yet placed on a claim. This paper has study layers, but no concept page yet cites it as support, challenge, or qualifier.
Related papers in this topic
Same topic cluster — not a recommendation engine.
- How do body awareness and tracking relate to emotional vulnerability?
- How do men and women differ in emotional regulation flexibility?
- How naming feelings compares to reframing thoughts in the brain
- Does brain power help people manage their emotions?
- Does rejecting negative emotions impact your heart rate?