From the Comfort of Home: A Comparison of VR and 2D Exhibits for Elderly Museum Visitors

Abstract

Of all people aged 60 years and over, 20% suffer from mental illness, the most common being depression (7%). This could be caused by immobility issues that make them less able to engage in activities such as museums or the theater. These activities allow visitors to learn and be entertained, which can benefit mental health through gaining greater intellectual engagement. This qualitative study investigated how technology could provide a solution to this problem, focusing on the comparison between a 2D computer screen and VR. However, there are challenges to conducting research with elderly people. Examples of these challenges include the fact that elderly people may have short attention spans, that there is a wide range of technological skills among this user group and VR sickness. These challenges were taken into account by developing a short and appropriate questionnaire. To investigate the advantages and disadvantages of both 2D computers and VR, participants experienced the Dutch painting The Night Watch both on a computer and in VR. After each condition, they completed a questionnaire about their experience. One of the main findings is that participants seemed to interact more easily with the trackers in VR than with the computer mouse. Although VR was new to the majority (76%), fewer participants needed assistance (2D: 20%, VR: 8%), and fewer participants made mistakes while interacting with the content (2D: 52%, VR: 32%). Another finding is that, although the participants enjoyed the quality of the 2D computer screen, the participants reported feeling more immersed in the VR experience than on the 2D computer screen.