The Role of a VR Transformative Experience on Positive Emotions and Savoring: Preliminary Results

Savoring involves intentionally generating and intensifying positive emotions, and through savoring strategies, people can amplify the bodily sensations and duration of their positive emotions. In this framework, brief virtual reality (VR) transformative experiences (TEs) allow the exploration of new ways of thinking and foster the ability to recognize positive experiences. This ongoing study aims at evaluating the impact of a VR-based TE on positive emotions and the independent practice of savoring exercises in emerging adults. Thirty-four Italian emerging adults have been enrolled so far. The experimental group experienced a 10-min virtual TE focused on savoring, while the active control group listened to the same recorded narrative without VR. Both groups were then guided through four savoring strategies and encouraged to practice them over the next week. Both groups filled out the online questionnaires before (t0) and after the TE (t1), and one week later (t2). After the TE (t1), independent sample Student t-tests revealed that the experimental group perceived virtual TE as significantly more transformative and pleasant and experienced significantly higher levels of hope than the control group. Concerning positive emotions after one week (t2), no differences were found between groups. Regarding the practice of savoring strategies in t2, the experimental group tended to display positive emotions to others significantly more than the control group. Although these results are preliminary and the study is still ongoing, this study showed that the virtual TE offers some potentialities in terms of personal emotional change compared to the TE without VR.