TY - JOUR
T1 - Beyond the hype
T2 - longitudinal trends in virtual reality perceptions beyond the COVID-19 pandemic
AU - Ball, Christopher
AU - Huang, Kuo Ting
AU - Francis-Levin, Jess
N1 - The authors would like to acknowledge that effort on this publication is supported, in part, by the National Institutes of Health under the award number K01AG083120. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
PY - 2025
Y1 - 2025
N2 - Introduction. The metaverse is shaped significantly by spatial computing technologies, such as virtual reality (VR). However, the promise of a VR-facilitated metaverse remains unfulfilled, and public perceptions of these technologies are fluid. Therefore, this study investigates perceptions and intentions to use VR over three years, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Method. We conducted three waves of cross-sectional surveys from 2020 to 2022 (N = 928), via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Analysis. Data were analysed using OLS regression and mediation-moderation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Model 85. Results. Respondents' perceptions of VR as both easy to use and useful predict their intentions to use the technology, with usefulness being the stronger predictor. When examining changes over time, in 2021, VR ownership was not a predictor of perceived usefulness, and it was associated with a decrease in intentions to use VR, potentially reflecting the dynamics of the hype cycle. The direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on VR acceptance persisted throughout all three years of the study but appear to be diminishing with time. Conclusion. This study contributes to the theoretical and practical discourse on the metaverse's development, advocating for a nuanced understanding of VR's role as a critical component of this digital frontier.
AB - Introduction. The metaverse is shaped significantly by spatial computing technologies, such as virtual reality (VR). However, the promise of a VR-facilitated metaverse remains unfulfilled, and public perceptions of these technologies are fluid. Therefore, this study investigates perceptions and intentions to use VR over three years, both during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Method. We conducted three waves of cross-sectional surveys from 2020 to 2022 (N = 928), via Amazon Mechanical Turk. Analysis. Data were analysed using OLS regression and mediation-moderation analysis using Hayes’ PROCESS Model 85. Results. Respondents' perceptions of VR as both easy to use and useful predict their intentions to use the technology, with usefulness being the stronger predictor. When examining changes over time, in 2021, VR ownership was not a predictor of perceived usefulness, and it was associated with a decrease in intentions to use VR, potentially reflecting the dynamics of the hype cycle. The direct and indirect effects of COVID-19 on VR acceptance persisted throughout all three years of the study but appear to be diminishing with time. Conclusion. This study contributes to the theoretical and practical discourse on the metaverse's development, advocating for a nuanced understanding of VR's role as a critical component of this digital frontier.
KW - COVID-19
KW - Longitudinal Survey
KW - Metaverse
KW - Technology Acceptance Model
KW - Virtual Reality
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U2 - 10.47989/ir30iConf47356
DO - 10.47989/ir30iConf47356
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105000454684
SN - 1368-1613
VL - 30
SP - 260
EP - 279
JO - Information Research
JF - Information Research
IS - iConf (2025)
ER -