Date of Award

12-24-2025

Date Published

January 2026

Degree Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Department

Mass Communications

Advisor(s)

Carol Liebler

Second Advisor

T. Makana Chock

Keywords

Awe;Eudaimonic Media Experiences;Meaningful Media Experiences;Media Appreciation;Virtual Reality;VR

Subject Categories

Communication | Social and Behavioral Sciences

Abstract

This dissertation explores how spatial presence in Virtual Reality (VR) creates awe and appreciation through the role of perceived vastness. 92 participants played a custom-built VR game (VR Nature Photographer) in three environments designed to be low, medium, and high in vastness. A repeated-measures design measured spatial presence, vastness, awe, and appreciation across conditions. Results showed higher vastness increased all four outcomes, with awe and vastness having the largest effect sizes and presence and appreciation medium sized. Mediation analyses showed perceived vastness fully mediated the effect of spatial presence on awe in all vastness conditions and partially mediated its effect on appreciation. A unified structural equation model confirmed vastness as the central mechanism, fully mediating presence’s effect on awe and partially mediating its effect on appreciation, with no direct link between awe and appreciation. These findings explain how perception and emotion work in immersive environments, extend our understanding of presence and awe, and provide guidance for VR design in entertainment, education and therapy.

Access

Open Access

Download

Included in

Communication Commons

Share

COinS