Time Perception in Virtual Reality: Effects of Emotional Valence and Stress Level

TL;DR

This study investigates how emotional valence and stress influence time perception in virtual reality, revealing consistent effects of environment on perceived duration and physiological responses, with implications for immersive experience design.

Contribution

It demonstrates that emotional context in VR reliably alters perceived time and physiological responses, advancing understanding of emotion-time interactions in immersive environments.

Findings

Valence gradient affects time estimates (garden overestimates, sewer underestimates).

Pupil diameter correlates with temporal distortion across environments.

Baseline stress does not influence time perception or emotional effects.

Abstract

Immersive virtual reality (VR) enables controlled tests of how emotional context distorts subjective time, yet findings remain mixed. Fifty-seven adults explored three five-minute VR environments (tranquil garden, neutral room, threatening sewer) while eye tracking recorded pupil diameter. Baseline stress was assessed before VR exposure. After each environment, participants estimated elapsed time and rated mood, calmness, and arousal. Repeated-measures ANCOVA (baseline stress as covariate) and linear mixed-effects models converged on a valence gradient: garden intervals were overestimated, sewer intervals underestimated, and neutral estimates were intermediate. Pupil diameter showed the complementary pattern (sewer > garden > neutral) and covaried with the magnitude of temporal distortion. Baseline stress did not predict time estimates and did not moderate valence effects. Results indicate that affectively distinct VR contexts reliably shift perceived time and elicit convergent physiological and self-report responses. These findings inform emotion-aware design of immersive experiences and digital-wellbeing safeguards that support safe, sustained immersion.