XR for Change Impact Report 2023: Results of Impact and Engagement Research and Comparison Study

The XR for Change Impact Report 2023, produced by Games for Change, presents research by Jan Plass and Bruce Homer that evaluated the impact and audience engagement of the VR documentary On the Morning You Wake (OTMYW), a three-part piece about people in Hawai'i who experienced a ballistic missile notification. The study used OTMYW and its impact campaign, which was featured at over 20 locations and events, as a case study. Onboarding and aftercare surveys were completed by 1,804 and 1,297 participants respectively. Most attendees came to the activation out of curiosity and interest, and 68% were from North America. Two-thirds of participants said they were likely or very likely to seek more information about the topic, with 67% at open-to-the-public activations, 61% at private events and 63% in museums. A majority reported intending to take further action, including 72% at open-to-the-public activations, 77% at private events and 78% in museums. A separate comparison study of 171 participants contrasted the VR headset version with an identical tablet version. The VR group more often self-reported feeling inspired (41.0% versus 22.7%) and energized (20.5% versus 5.7%), and reported a greater sense of immersion. Average time spent was 30.1 minutes for the 2D group and 28.15 minutes for the VR group. The authors state that the VR group's stronger positive emotions show the potential of VR for impact storytelling.