User experience, game satisfaction and engagement with the virtual simulation VR FestLab for alcohol prevention: A quantitative analysis among Danish adolescents

PLoS One. 2023 May 30;18(5):e0286522. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286522. eCollection 2023.

Abstract

VR FestLab is a virtual reality party simulation application. The tool allows users to make decisions while experiencing a virtual party where they are offered alcohol. This study examines the user experience, game satisfaction, and engagement of 181 adolescent users (aged 15-18) with VR FestLab involving seven schools in Denmark. All user experience factors of the short user experience questionnaire were rated positively or neutral, and 66% of the students liked the VR experience. Neither the user experience score nor a score for game satisfaction and engagement were associated with sex, age, perceived family affluence, school performance, alcohol consumption and attitudes or mental health of students. Overall, positive user experiences and game satisfaction of VR FestLab were found not to differ according to student characteristics. We conclude that virtual simulations offer new ways for developing drinking refusal skills that are attractive and acceptable for adolescent users.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Computer Simulation
  • Denmark
  • Ethanol
  • Humans
  • Personal Satisfaction
  • Virtual Reality*

Substances

  • Ethanol

Grants and funding

This study is funded by a donation from TrygFonden, Denmark (Funding ID 129372, https://www.tryghed.dk/). The award was received by CS. The funder had no role in the study design or authority regards the conduct of the study and publication of results.