Predictors of the Sense of Presence in an Immersive Audio Storytelling Experience, a Mixed Methods Study. PREPRINT

TL;DR

This study identifies key factors such as audio quality, cognitive engagement, and narrative style that predict the sense of presence in immersive audio storytelling, with mixed methods confirming these predictors.

Contribution

It provides new insights into how audio quality and narrative influence presence, using a mixed-methods approach combining surveys and interviews.

Findings

Presence predicted by audio quality and cognitive engagement

Narrative style influences sense of presence

Environmental and technology effects received limited support

Abstract

This study examined which variables predicted the sense of presence (being there) in an immersive audio experience, with a focus on the impacts of immersion technology (headphones with spatialised sound versus speaker with 2D stereo sound), the nature of the audio experience, the narrative content, participants emotional and cognitive engagement and personal characteristics such as age and gender. Museum visitors listened to a story on the One Story, Many Voices immersive audio installation. A convergent mixed-methods design was used, including multiple regression analysis of survey data (n 185) and relational analysis of interview data (n 9). This study found mixed methods support from both surveys and interviews to suggest that presence was predicted by the audio quality (especially the audio being perceived as different from other audio stories they had listened to in the past), cognitive engagement (especially being totally absorbed), the narrative (the story and how it was told) and some support was found for emotional engagement (especially feeling a connection with the storyteller). Effects of the environment and immersion technology on presence received only either quantitative or qualitative support. No influences of personal characteristics were found. Findings are relevant for academics, immersive experience (XR) commissioners and developers.