Older Adults Perceptions of and Preferences for Virtual Reality Applications
S. J. Czaja, S. Zhang, P. Bhowmick, W. R. Boot, N. Charness, W. A. Rogers.
Full text PDF 
( Download count: 1)
AbstractPURPOSE: Virtual reality (VR) systems have evolved, are more powerful and accessible to consumers, and present unique opportunities to foster cognitive, social, and activity engagement in older adults in their own homes. VR provides an immersive and engaging experience that gives users the realistic impression of being present in a context or situation outside their home, alone or with others [1]. As such, VR applications can be used to mediate social interactions, cognitive and activity engagement [2, 3, 4,5]. Despite the potential of VR, only a few high-quality studies have examined the usability and acceptance of VR solutions or their efficacy with older adults. The aim of this study was to systematically gather information on VR application preferences (e.g., types of activity experiences) and usability of VR programs among a diverse sample of older adults. METHODS: The sample included 48 older adults recruited from two geographic locations in the United States, including 34 females and 14 males (Mage = 72.3; SDage = 5.4). Initially two teams engage in a multi-step systematic process to identify and select apps falling into the following categories: cognitive, activity, social, and technology engagement. The criteria for app selection included comfort, content, safety, and usability; a total of 16 apps were selected. Each participant experienced eight different applications presented in one of two modalities: Four applications were experienced via five-minute hands-on engagements, and four were experienced by watching videos of engagement taken from a first-person perspective. Four experimental protocols were created following a counterbalanced design to account for order effects. During testing, an application was first introduced via a scripted presentation. This was followed by user testing of the app and completion of the experience rating scale. The participant experienced applications in the two modalities in alternation, with the first two applications experienced hands-on, the next two via video, and so on. Participants were also asked to rate their overall experience and overall interest in VR. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: Bayesian one sample Wilcoxon signed rank test was applied for each application with each item on the user experience scale as the dependent variable. There was strong evidence that the content of most applications was enjoyable. The effect sizes ranged from medium to large (8 range from 0.60 to 2.04). Results also showed strong evidence that the content of the majority of applications was of interest. The effect sizes ranged from medium to large (ō ranges from 0.64 to 2.26). Further the findings indicated that most of the applications were rated as easy to navigate and understand, enjoyable, and easy to use. Participants expressed interest in using art, cultural, education, entertainment, and travel applications. Finally, the results indicated that VR did not cause any physical discomfort. Overall, the experience of the participants was positive, and the participants expressed positive attitudes towards VR. Generally, the findings demonstrated the feasibility, usability, and acceptability of VR applications for cognitive and activity engagement among older adults. They also help to guide the content of future development of VR applications for older adults.Keywords: Virtual Reality, User-Centered Design, Social Engagement, Cognitive Engagement
S. J. Czaja, S. Zhang, P. Bhowmick, W. R. Boot, N. Charness, W. A. Rogers. (2026). Older Adults Perceptions of and Preferences for Virtual Reality Applications. Gerontechnology, 25(2), 1-10
https://doi.org/10.4017/gt.2026.25.2.1348.3