Using Virtual Reality to Validate the Chinese Version of the Independent Television Commission-Sense of Presence Inventory

Abstract

The English version of the Independent Television Commission-Sense of Presence Inventory (ITC-SOPI), which was developed in 2001 to measure how involved or present participants are when experiencing different media, has substantial psychometric evidence. This study was used to translate and validate the ITC-SOPI in interactive virtual environments among the Chinese population. We used the forward-backward translation procedure. An expert panel reviewed the translated ITC-SOPI until the Chinese version of the ITC-SOPI was finalized. A total of 210 participants (133 males and 77 females), with a mean age of 23.05 years (SD = 3.56, range = 17–47), completed the Chinese ITC-SOPI. The following psychometric properties were examined: factor structure, internal consistency, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) showed a good fit (χ2/df = 1.70, Tucker–Lewis Index [TLI] = 0.91, comparative fit index [CFI] = 0.92, root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] = 0.058) of the four-factor model (spatial presence, engagement, ecological validity, and negative effects). For each factor, the Chinese ITC-SOPI had high internal consistency (Cronbach’s α ranging from 0.75 to 0.87) and test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient ranging from 0.82 to 0.91). Significant correlations were identified between all factors and the Interpersonal Reactivity Index-C (IRI-C) and the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). The Chinese ITC-SOPI had good psychometric properties, suggesting that it is a reliable and valid tool for evaluating media users’ sense of presence in a Chinese-speaking context.