Effects of Repeated Exposure and Nature Type in Immersive Virtual Reality on Pro-Environmental Behavioral Intention

Abstract

The current study aims to examine the effects of immersive VR exposure type (single vs. repeated) and nature type presented (intact vs. destroyed) on nature relatedness and pro-environmental behavioral intention, while also taking into account the sense of environmental indebtedness as a moderating factor. A laboratory experiment (N= 207) was conducted using a 2 (exposure type to immersive 360° video: single vs. repeated) × 2 (Nature type: intact vs. destroyed) between-subjects design. The results showed that repeated exposure to immersive VR videos depicting destroyed natural environments led to the highest scores of nature relatedness. Moderated mediation analyses revealed that nature relatedness fully mediate the relationship between VR exposure characteristics (repetition and content type) and pro-environmental behavioral intention, and that sense of environmental indebtedness positively moderates the effect of nature relatedness on pro-environmental behavioral intention. This study stands out for its novel combination of two dimensions rarely explored together in immersive VR: the number of exposures (single vs. repeated) and the type of environmental content (intact vs. destroyed). It highlights not only the direct effect of these characteristics on nature relatedness, but also the full mediating role of this variable in the formation of pro-environmental intentions. The introduction of the sense of environmental indebtedness as a moderating factor constitutes an original contribution, as this concept is still rarely used in the literature.