A study of the effects of immersive virtual game experiences on college students' interpersonal interactions, self-perceptions, and learning anxiety
沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生人际交往、自我认知和学习焦虑的影响研究

Chen Feng
陈峰

Research background
研究背景

According to the Ministry of Education of China,China's college graduates in 2023 is over 11.58 million with an increase of 0.82 million than data of year 2022 (10.76 million).The data exceed 10 million mark second time in history.For college students, they need to master good professional skills and communication and collaboration skills during their school studies, while also planning their future careers to ensure that they can quickly adapt to society after graduation.According to the survey of Report on the Mental Health Status of College Students in China in 2022 by Chinese Academy of Sciences, the survey results show that the overall mental health status of college students is good, but attention should be paid to college students' lifestyle, career planning and love mental health education.
据中国教育部数据显示，2023 年中国高校毕业生超过 1158 万人，比 2022 年的数据（1076 万人）增加 82 万人，历史上第二次突破千万大关。对于大学生来说，在校期间需要掌握良好的专业技能和沟通协作能力，同时也要规划好自己未来的职业生涯，确保毕业后能够快速适应社会。据中国科学院《2022 年中国大学生心理健康状况报告》调查显示，大学生心理健康状况总体良好，但应关注大学生的生活方式、职业规划和恋爱心理健康教育。
In terms of specific data, only half of college students did not report anxiety risk (54.72%). In terms of stressors, the three main stressors for college students come from "heavy academic burden", "missing family", and "not knowing what job they are suitable for.Yin (et al, 2020) studied the literature related to education from 2015 to 2019, constructed the "Pyramid Model" of Chinese college students' growth, and proposed that it is necessary to pay attention to the role of various cognitive, affective, and behavioral factors related to college students' learning and development at the meso level.
从具体数据来看，只有一半的大学生没有报告焦虑风险（54.72%）。在压力源方面，大学生的三大压力源来自于 "学业负担重"、"思念家人 "和 "不知道自己适合做什么工作"。尹晓明（等，2020）研究了 2015-2019 年教育相关文献，构建了中国大学生成长的 "金字塔模型"，提出要关注与大学生学习和发展相关的各种认知、情感和行为因素在中观层面的作用。
In terms of college students' learning and development, research on "psychological health development" and "mobile phone/Internet use problems" of college students has also gradually begun.
在大学生的学习和发展方面，对大学生 "心理健康发展 "和 "手机/互联网使用问题 "的研究也逐步展开。

With the development of virtual reality (VR) technology, immersive virtual game experience has become a research hotspot in fields such as education and entertainment. Many studies have shown that immersive virtual gaming experiences can improve individuals' cognitive ability, emotional regulation ability, and social skills (Wang et al., 2019).
随着虚拟现实（VR）技术的发展，沉浸式虚拟游戏体验已成为教育和娱乐等领域的研究热点。许多研究表明，沉浸式虚拟游戏体验可以提高个体的认知能力、情绪调节能力和社交能力（Wang et al.）
In the field of education, immersive virtual gaming experiences are considered an effective educational method that can enhance students' learning motivation and engagement (Garrison et al., 2005).
在教育领域，沉浸式虚拟游戏体验被认为是一种有效的教育方法，可以提高学生的学习动机和参与度（Garrison et al.）
Among college students, immersive virtual gaming experiences may have an impact on their interpersonal interaction, self-awareness, and learning anxiety.
在大学生中，沉浸式虚拟游戏体验可能会对他们的人际交往、自我意识和学习焦虑产生影响。
At present, research on the effects of immersive virtual game experiences on interpersonal interaction, self-awareness, and learning anxiety among college students is relatively limited.
目前，关于沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生人际交往、自我意识和学习焦虑影响的研究相对有限。

Many studies have only focused on a specific aspect for exploratory research, such as panic disorder, exam anxiety, etc. Research objects also mostly focus on teenagers or specific populations, and there is still room for further research on college students mental health.Therefore, this study aims to explore the impact of immersive virtual game experience on interpersonal interaction, self-awareness, and learning anxiety among college students, in order to provide theoretical basis for the psychological health education of college students and the application of virtual reality technology in the field of education.
很多研究只是针对某一特定方面进行探索性研究，如恐慌症、考试焦虑等。因此，本研究旨在探讨沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生人际交往、自我意识和学习焦虑的影响，以期为大学生心理健康教育和虚拟现实技术在教育领域的应用提供理论依据。

Problem statement
问题陈述

The number of college graduates in China has exceeded 10 million annually, which means that the total number of college students is at least 30 million.
中国每年的大学毕业生人数已超过 1000 万，这意味着大学生总数至少有 3000 万。
According to the survey, only half of the students reported no significant anxiety, indicating that approximately 15 million college students have varying degrees of mental health problems. With the popularity of electronic mobile games and the increasing impact of short video social platforms, many college students are spending their time on these things.
调查显示，只有一半的学生表示没有明显焦虑，这表明约有 1500 万大学生存在不同程度的心理健康问题。随着电子手机游戏的流行，短视频社交平台的影响越来越大，很多大学生把时间都花在了这些事情上。
Research has shown that prolonged and excessive gaming can lead to addiction and addiction, which can lead to social distancing from reality, affecting face-to-face interpersonal relationships, academic problems, and possibly triggering anxiety and depression.
研究表明，长期和过度的游戏会导致沉迷和上瘾，从而导致社会与现实的疏离，影响面对面的人际关系、学业问题，还可能引发焦虑和抑郁。

Many universities have taken intervention measures for these problematic students, including providing psychological counseling services, strengthening psychological education and training, establishing support systems, family support, regular mental health examinations, providing mental health resources, creating a positive campus atmosphere, establishing emergency assistance mechanisms, providing guidance on career planning and development directions, and collaborating with social resources.
许多高校对这些问题学生采取了干预措施，包括提供心理咨询服务、加强心理教育和培训、建立支持系统、家庭支持、定期心理健康检查、提供心理健康资源、营造积极向上的校园氛围、建立紧急援助机制、提供职业规划和发展方向指导、与社会资源合作等。
These intervention measures can to some extent improve the psychological problems of college students.
这些干预措施可以在一定程度上改善大学生的心理问题。
However, the effectiveness of different intervention measures may be influenced by various factors, such as intervention methods, intervention frequency, and the professional qualifications of intervention teachers.
然而，不同干预措施的效果可能会受到各种因素的影响，如干预方法、干预频率和干预教师的专业资质等。
According to surveys, many students refuse to accept relevant psychological intervention measures, resulting in some school students' mental health levels not being improved.
据调查，很多学生拒绝接受相关的心理干预措施，导致部分在校学生的心理健康水平得不到提高。
Therefore, future research can utilize virtual reality technology to create experiential immersive games and explore new ways of psychological intervention measures.
因此，未来的研究可以利用虚拟现实技术，创造身临其境的体验式游戏，探索心理干预措施的新方法。

The aim of this study is to design an immersive experience system for college students to effectively intervene in their social, cognitive, and anxiety levels, enhance their satisfaction with their physical and mental health, and thus improve their learning and life.
本研究旨在为大学生设计一个沉浸式体验系统，有效干预他们的社交、认知和焦虑水平，提高他们对身心健康的满意度，从而改善他们的学习和生活。

Research Objectives
研究目标

This study aims to explore the impact of immersive virtual game experience on interpersonal interaction, self-awareness, and learning anxiety among college students through empirical research. The specific objectives include:
本研究旨在通过实证研究，探讨沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生人际交往、自我意识和学习焦虑的影响。具体目标包括

To Analyze the impact of immersive virtual game experience on interpersonal
分析沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对人际关系的影响

interaction among college students, including team cooperation ability, communication ability, etc.
大学生之间的互动，包括团队合作能力、沟通能力等。

(2) To explore the impact of immersive virtual game experience on college students' self-awareness, including self-awareness, self-reflection, etc.
(2) 探讨沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生自我意识的影响，包括自我认知、自我反思等。

(3) To investigate the impact of immersive virtual game experience on college students' learning anxiety.
(3) 探究沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生学习焦虑的影响。

Research Questions
研究问题

(1) How does immersive virtual gaming experience affect interpersonal interaction among college students?
(1) 沉浸式虚拟游戏体验如何影响大学生的人际交往？

(2) How does immersive virtual gaming experience affect college students' self-awareness?
(2) 沉浸式虚拟游戏体验如何影响大学生的自我意识？

(3) How does immersive virtual gaming experience affect college students' learning anxiety?
(3) 沉浸式虚拟游戏体验如何影响大学生的学习焦虑？

(4) How does immersive virtual gaming experience affect total mental health of college students?
(4) 沉浸式虚拟游戏体验如何影响大学生的总体心理健康？

Hypothesis
假设

H₀₁ :Immersive virtual game experience has no significant impact on the interpersonal interaction of college students.
H ₀₁ :沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生人际交往没有显著影响。

H₀₂ :There is no significant impact of immersive virtual gaming experience on the self-awareness of college students.
H ₀₂ :沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生的自我意识没有显著影响。

H₀₃ :There is no significant impact of immersive virtual gaming experience on the learning anxiety of college students.
H ₀₃ :沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生的学习焦虑没有显著影响。

H₀₄ :There is no significant impact of immersive virtual game experience on the total mental health of college students.
H ₀₄ :沉浸式虚拟游戏体验对大学生总体心理健康没有显著影响。

Theoretical Framework
理论框架

(1) Embodied Cognition Theory
(1) 具身认知理论

The embodied cognitive theory is a cognitive science theory that advocates that cognitive processes not only include the input, processing, and output of information, but also include the role of the body in interacting with the environment.
具身认知理论是一种认知科学理论，主张认知过程不仅包括信息的输入、处理和输出，还包括身体在与环境互动中的作用。
According to the theory of embodied cognition, the cognitive process is not limited to the brain, but is achieved through the interaction between the body and the external world.
根据具身认知理论，认知过程并不局限于大脑，而是通过身体与外部世界的互动来实现的。
This theory suggests that the body plays a crucial role in the cognitive process, for example, body movements and postures can affect cognitive performance and thinking processes (Wilson&Golonka, 2012).
这一理论认为，身体在认知过程中起着至关重要的作用，例如，身体动作和姿势会影响认知表现和思维过程（Wilson&Golonka，2012）。
The theory of embodied cognition challenges traditional cognitive concepts and provides a new perspective for studying how cognitive processes are influenced by the body and environment.
具身认知理论挑战了传统的认知概念，为研究认知过程如何受到身体和环境的影响提供了一个新的视角。

(2) Social Cognition Theory
(2) 社会认知理论

Social cognitive theory is a psychological theory that advocates individuals to obtain, process, and utilize social information by observing and explaining the behavior and psychological state of others.
社会认知理论是一种心理学理论，主张个人通过观察和解释他人的行为和心理状态来获取、处理和利用社会信息。
According to social cognitive theory, individuals not only pay attention to external stimuli, but also pay attention to the social meanings behind these stimuli during the cognitive process.
根据社会认知理论，个体在认知过程中不仅要关注外部刺激，还要关注这些刺激背后的社会意义。
This theory emphasizes that individuals are influenced by their own beliefs, expectations, and emotions when understanding and interpreting social information (Tajfel&Turner, 1979).
这一理论强调，个人在理解和解释社会信息时，会受到自身信念、期望和情感的影响（Tajfel&Turner，1979 年）。
The social cognitive theory provides a theoretical framework for studying the cognitive process of individuals in social interaction.
社会认知理论为研究个人在社会互动中的认知过程提供了一个理论框架。

(3) Hierarchy of Needs Theory
(3) 需求层次理论

The hierarchy of needs theory is a psychological theory proposed by Maslow (1943), which advocates that human needs can be divided into five levels, from low to high: physiological needs, safety needs, social needs, respect needs, and self actualization needs.
需求层次理论是马斯洛（1943 年）提出的一种心理学理论，主张人的需求可以从低到高分为五个层次：生理需求、安全需求、社交需求、尊重需求和自我实现需求。
According to the hierarchy of needs theory, human needs are layered, and only when one level of needs is met will individuals seek to meet higher-level needs.
根据需求层次理论，人的需求是分层的，只有当一个层次的需求得到满足后，个人才会寻求满足更高层次的需求。
This theory emphasizes that individual needs are the main driving force for behavior and psychological processes, and only when basic needs are met can individuals unleash their potential and achieve self realization (Maslow, 1943).
这一理论强调，个人需求是行为和心理过程的主要驱动力，只有满足了基本需求，个人才能释放潜能，实现自我（Maslow, 1943）。
The hierarchy of needs theory provides a theoretical framework for studying individual motivation and psychological development.
需求层次理论为研究个人动机和心理发展提供了一个理论框架。

(4) Flow Theory
(4) 流动理论

Flow theory is a theory that studies how people immerse themselves in virtual reality environments. According to this theory, individuals will experience an experience similar to real life in a virtual reality environment, which creates a sense of integration with the virtual environment, known as immersion.
流理论是一种研究人们如何沉浸在虚拟现实环境中的理论。根据这一理论，人们会在虚拟现实环境中体验到与现实生活相似的经历，从而产生一种与虚拟环境融为一体的感觉，即所谓的沉浸感。
Immersion is a key driving factor for individuals to actively participate in interactive and cognitive processes in virtual environments.
沉浸感是个人在虚拟环境中积极参与互动和认知过程的关键驱动因素。
The immersion theory provides a theoretical framework for studying the psychological processes of individuals in virtual reality environments.
沉浸理论为研究虚拟现实环境中个人的心理过程提供了一个理论框架。

Conceptual framework
概念框架

Planning of immersive virtual game(IVG)
沉浸式虚拟游戏（IVG）规划

It consists of three parts and used by Head-Mounted Display in the lab.Part 1is role-play game ( joining student association and give a presentation in public ) to promote social skill.Part 2 is interactive game (choose my five most important things in life) to promote cognitive skill.Part 3 is a natural roaming scene with light music for relaxation to relieve learning anxiety.
第一部分是角色扮演游戏（加入学生会并在公开场合发表演讲），以促进社交技能；第二部分是互动游戏（选择我生命中最重要的五件事），以促进认知技能；第三部分是自然漫游场景，配以轻音乐放松，以缓解学习焦虑。

The first part mainly involves allowing the experiencer to play a role in communicating with strangers and integrate into a special group. Finally, a speech is delivered by experimenter in the crowd (with designated manuscripts in the game, requiring the experimenter to read aloud),thus guiding the experimenter to try to interact with others to improve interpersonal skills. The second part requires the experiencer to choose five items from numerous categories, and then gradually decrease them. In the final stage, the experiencer is only required to choose one item, which is the most important thing in life that the experiencer believes in themselves.
第一部分主要是让体验者扮演与陌生人交流的角色，融入一个特殊的群体。最后，由体验者在人群中发表演讲（游戏中有指定手稿，需要体验者朗读），从而引导体验者尝试与他人交流，提高人际交往能力。第二部分要求体验者从众多类别中选择五个项目，然后逐渐减少。在最后阶段，体验者只需选择一项，即体验者自己认为生活中最重要的事情。
This leads the experiencer to reconstruct their self-awareness and live out the meaning of life.
这将引导体验者重新构建自我意识，实现生命的意义。
The third part allows the experience to experience a beautiful virtual natural world, forgetting the anxiety, pressure, and troubles in learning and life, combined with simple interaction and background music, in order to alleviate the learning anxiety of the experimenter.
第三部分让体验者感受美好的虚拟自然世界，忘记学习和生活中的焦虑、压力和烦恼，结合简单的互动和背景音乐，以缓解实验者的学习焦虑。