M.Sc. Hong Chen explored the factors that shape individuals’ cognitions and emotions in their use of virtual-reality-based sports (VR sports). The studies showed that technology-, sports content-, and social-related factors shape users’ cognitions in VR sports by fulfilling their psychological needs. The three streams of factors also influence discrete emotions, producing both positive (joy, surprise) and negative (fear, anger, sadness, disgust) responses. A key finding was that fear positively predicted user satisfaction, and this effect was strengthened at higher exercise intensities. In practice, the findings offer insights into optimizing the design of VR sports from the perspectives of technology, sports content, and social behavior, and improving the overall user experience.
The doctoral dissertation of M.Sc. Hong Chen, in the field of Information Systems, will be publicly examined at the Faculty of Management and Business at Tampere University on 24 April 2026.
The Opponent will be Professor József Mezei from Åbo Akademi University, Finland. The Custos will be Professor Hongxiu Li from the Faculty of Management and Business, Tampere University.