ABSTRACT

360-degree videos have become favored tools to deliver environmental messages to audiences on social media platforms. Whereas 360-degree videos can emotionally engage users with beautiful scenery imitating virtual reality (VR) technology, such positive experiences may not be always translated into greater persuasion. Based on the theories of emotion and interactivity, we propose that the peaceful feelings evoked by interacting with natural scenery using the 360-degree feature may decrease the persuasive impact of environmental messages. We conducted a lab experiment (N = 119) where the persuasive effectiveness of four 360-degree videos featuring climate change was compared with that of uni-directional videos. Findings showed that participants who interacted with the 360-degree videos felt more peaceful and tranquil and less scared in general, regardless of the emotional valence of video content. As a result, the presence and usage of the 360-degree feature reduced participants’ environmental engagement. Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.

摘要

360 度视频已成为在社交媒体平台上向观众传递环境信息的首选工具。虽然 360 度视频可以通过模仿虚拟现实 (VR) 技术的美丽风景吸引用户的情感，但这种积极的体验可能并不总是转化为更大的说服力。基于情感和交互性理论，我们提出使用 360 度特征与自然景观互动所唤起的平静感觉可能会降低环境信息的说服力。我们进行了一个实验室实验（N = 119），其中将四个以气候变化为特征的 360 度视频的说服效果与单向视频的说服效果进行了比较。研究结果表明，无论视频内容的情感价值如何，与 360 度视频互动的参与者总体上都感觉更加平静和安宁，不那么害怕。因此，360 度功能的存在和使用降低了参与者的环境参与度。讨论了理论和实践意义。