Synergia: A Multimodal Virtual Reality System for Creative Expression and Positive Change Through Cognitive Flow

Abstract

In recent years, virtual reality (VR) technologies for positive change have emerged as a way to combat various physical and mental issues, such as anxiety and depression, which have been linked to an increased use of digital technologies. Moreover, a state of cognitive flow in VR has been shown to have positive effects on human well-being. When designing for such VR technologies that can support positive change, feedback through aural and visual stimuli as well as interaction through movement have been suggested. However, evaluations of cognitive flow when using such technologies and with those designed for creative and artistic expression are lacking. In this paper, we present the multimodal VR system, Synergia, which encourages creative and artistic expression through bodily movement that is used to generate aural and visual feedback. In particular, participants’ experiences with Synergia were evaluated using the Flow State Scale (FSS) in conjunction with semi-structured interviews. Our results indicate that Synergia shows promising potential for inducing aspects of cognitive flow related to increased concentration and an autotelic experience. Furthermore, these findings highlight the importance of multi-modalities to the flow experience but suggest also that visual-sound mappings may present a problem when designing for similar systems in the future.