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Social, Spatial, and Self-Presence as Predictors of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Social Virtual Reality

Qijia Chen, Andrea Bellucci, Giulio Jacucci

TL;DR

Results show that social presence predicts all three needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while self-presence predicts competence and relatedness, and spatial presence shows no direct or moderating effects.

Abstract

Extensive research has examined presence and basic psychological needs (drawing on Self-Determination Theory) in digital media. While prior work offers hints of potential connections, we lack a systematic account of whether and how distinct presence dimensions map onto the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We surveyed 301 social VR users and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that social presence predicts all three needs, while self-presence predicts competence and relatedness, and spatial presence shows no direct or moderating effects. Gender and age moderated these relationships: women benefited more from social presence for autonomy and relatedness, men from self- and spatial presence for competence and autonomy, and younger users showed stronger associations between social presence and relatedness, and between self-presence and autonomy. These findings position presence as a motivational mechanism shaped by demographic factors. The results offer theoretical insights and practical implications for designing inclusive, need-supportive multiuser VR environments.

Social, Spatial, and Self-Presence as Predictors of Basic Psychological Need Satisfaction in Social Virtual Reality

TL;DR

Results show that social presence predicts all three needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness, while self-presence predicts competence and relatedness, and spatial presence shows no direct or moderating effects.

Abstract

Extensive research has examined presence and basic psychological needs (drawing on Self-Determination Theory) in digital media. While prior work offers hints of potential connections, we lack a systematic account of whether and how distinct presence dimensions map onto the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We surveyed 301 social VR users and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that social presence predicts all three needs, while self-presence predicts competence and relatedness, and spatial presence shows no direct or moderating effects. Gender and age moderated these relationships: women benefited more from social presence for autonomy and relatedness, men from self- and spatial presence for competence and autonomy, and younger users showed stronger associations between social presence and relatedness, and between self-presence and autonomy. These findings position presence as a motivational mechanism shaped by demographic factors. The results offer theoretical insights and practical implications for designing inclusive, need-supportive multiuser VR environments.
Paper Structure (34 sections, 3 figures, 7 tables)

This paper contains 34 sections, 3 figures, 7 tables.

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. Background
  3. Social Virtual Reality
  4. Sense of Presence
  5. Self-Determination Theory and the Basic Psychological Needs
  6. Rationale for Research Questions and Hypotheses
  7. Rationale for RQ1
  8. Rationale for RQ2
  9. Method
  10. Participants
  11. Measurement
  12. Self-Determination Theory
  13. Sense of Presence
  14. Data Analysis
  15. Results
  16. ...and 19 more sections

Figures (3)

  • Figure 1: Hypothesised structural model. Solid arrows indicate hypothesised main effects of social, self-, and spatial presence on autonomy, competence, and relatedness. Dashed arrows capture three sets of moderating pathways: spatial presence moderating the motivational effects of social and self-presence, and gender and age moderating all presence–need associations.
  • Figure 2: Interaction effects between social presence and spatial presence on basic psychological needs. (Left) Autonomy, (Middle) Competence, and (Right) Relatedness are plotted as a function of social presence, separately for low (red) and high (blue) spatial presence. Shaded bands represent 95% confidence intervals.
  • Figure 3: Interaction effects of Self Presence and Spatial Presence on the three basic psychological needs. (Left) Autonomy, (Middle) Competence, and (Right) Relatedness are plotted as a function of Self Presence, separately for low (red) and high (blue) Spatial Presence. Shaded bands represent 95% confidence intervals.