Comparing VR and TV in Nigeria and the U.S.: Impacts on Empathy, Engagement, and Enjoyment

This study (N = 170), involving participants from Nigeria and the U.S., investigated how different technologies (TV and VR) affect users' empathy (α = .93), engagement (α = .93), enjoyment (α = .93), preferences, and likelihood of technology use. Participants watched an animated documentary titled “Is Anna OK?” at two different time points, utilizing VR (Oculus Rift S) and TV, following which they completed measuring empathy, engagement, enjoyment, device preference, and usage likelihood. Analysis via one-way ANOVA and chi-square tests revealed that VR users reported significantly higher empathy and enjoyment compared to TV viewers, particularly on second viewing. Combining both countries, VR users showed greater enjoyment than TV users on both days, with similar effects seen in U.S. participants. However, no significant difference was observed between TV and VR groups for Nigerian participants on Day 1. Nigerian participants preferred VR to TV, while U.S. participants preferred TV for watching sports. Nigerian participants were also more likely to select a VR headset over TV for watching sports events, while U.S. participants tended to select TV over VR. The findings demonstrate the applicability of the media richness theory and affordances theory in the media technology context.