Relationships among beliefs, attitudes, time resources, subjective norms, and intentions to use wearable augmented reality in art galleries

© 2020 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. As a result of interactive and immersive technologies such as augmented reality, almost every service business has changed their ways of engaging with consumers. However, there has been little research on acceptance and use of wearable augmented reality (AR) in interactive services in museums and art galleries. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the causal relationships among customers’ beliefs, evaluation, attitudes, perceived behavior control (time resources), subjective norms, and intentions to use wearable AR and visit a tourist attraction (an art gallery) using the theory of planned behavior. The results showed that time resources affected intention to visit an art gallery, while attitude toward wearable AR had an impact on intention to use wearable AR. Subjective norms were found to predict intentions, and the intention to use wearable AR was found to influence the intention to visit an art gallery

Mobile Augmented Reality Heritage Applications: Meeting the Needs of Heritage Tourists

As competition intensifies, value co-creation with tourists is essential for successful implementation of mobile augmented reality (AR) heritage applications. This study therefore aims to identify heritage tourists’ needs and involvement when developing mobile AR heritage applications using a grounded theory approach. Since AR applications are still in their infancy in the tourism industry the grounded theory approach was employed. Fifty in-depth interviews were conducted in Macau’s World Heritage Sites. The interview transcripts were analyzed by the open coding method with the NVivo software, the process of axial coding and the selective coding method. This study generated new requirements for mobile AR heritage applications that reflect the needs of the Asian tourist market, which are different from those of the European tourist market. The characteristic of tourist empowerment and the association between co-creation and tourism were also identified. This study contributes to provide a theoretical framework for designing mobile AR heritage applications and has implications for mobile AR application developers and tourism practitioners

XR and mental wellbeing: state of the art and future research directions for the Metaverse

Introduction: The purpose of this study is to provide an overview of extant research regarding XR technology and its effect on consumer wellbeing. With the hopes of informing marketing practitioners on XR consumer psychology, in preparation for the Metaverse. Methods: To achieve the above aim, two types of analysis took place. Firstly, a bibliometric analysis was conducted which was then followed by a framework-based structured literature review. The latter entailed an analysis of 81 articles evaluated from a positive psychological approach. Findings: Following the TCCM framework, the analysis revealed the most common psychological theories demonstrating potential avenues for XR to impact consumer wellbeing. Moreover, researchers found preliminary links between, theory, characteristics, and contexts. Giving a preliminary description of how theory manifests into reality. Finally, the overview of extant literature was used to propose new avenues for future research pertaining to marketing, the Metaverse, and consumer effects. Conclusion: In conclusion, the paper provides stakeholder insights which can ensure minimal consumer risk and sustainable use of the XR technology and Metaverse. While addressing the need for more research that uncovers the psychological effects of emerging technologies, so to prepare for the Metaverse. This is especially important when considering the current upsurge of these technologies and the uncertainties associated with their novelty and the idea of an ‘always on’ consumer

Tourists’ Virtual Reality Adoption: An Exploratory Study from Lake District National Park

Virtual reality (VR) transforms the way destinations market their tourism offerings. To fully understand the opportunities of a technology, initial research is required assessing user adoption. However, empirical research and particularly exploratory qualitative research on VR adoption in tourism context is limited. Therefore, this study uses an exploratory interview approach with 35 participants near Lake District National Park, UK. Using thematic analysis, this study explores factors that influence VR adoption as well as the influencing factors on tourists’ behavioural intentions. This study adds to academia by qualitatively exploring the adoption of a scarcely researched technology within the tourism context

Enhancing Art Gallery Visitors’ Learning Experience using Wearable Augmented Reality: Generic Learning Outcomes Perspective

The potential of ICT-enhanced visitor learning experience is increasing with the advancement of new and emerging technologies in art gallery settings. However, studies on the visitor learning experience using wearable devices, and in particular those investigating the effects of wearable augmented reality on the learning experience within cultural heritage tourism attractions are limited. Using the Generic Learning Outcomes framework, this study aims to assess how the wearable augmented reality application enhances visitor’s learning experiences. Forty-four volunteers who were visiting an art gallery were divided into two groups, an experimental group and a control group. Following their visit to the gallery, the volunteers, who had and had not used wearable computing equipment, were interviewed, and the data were analysed using thematic analysis. Findings revealed that the wearable augmented reality application helps visitors to see connections between paintings and personalise their learning experience. However, there are some drawbacks such as lack of visitor-visitor engagement and the social acceptability

Determining Visitor Engagement through Augmented Reality at Science Festivals: An Experience Economy Perspective

Augmented reality (AR) has been increasingly implemented to enhance visitor experiences, and tourism research has long understood the importance of creating memorable experiences, leading to the research era of experience economy. Although technology-enhanced visitor engagement is crucial for science festivals, research focusing on visitor engagement through AR using the experience economy perspective is limited. Therefore, the aim of this study is to examine how the educational, esthetics, escapist and entertainment experience using AR affect visitor satisfaction and memorable experience, and eventually, lead to visitor engagement with science experiences in the context of science festivals. A total of 220 data inputs were collected as part of the European City of Science festivities and Manchester Science Festival 2016 and analyzed using structural equation modelling. Findings show that the four realms of experience economy influence satisfaction and memory and, ultimately, the intention for visitor engagement with science research at science festivals. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are presented and discussed

An Experiential View to Children Learning in Museums with Augmented Reality

Museums facilitate schoolchildren’s experiential learning, and when combined with Augmented Reality (AR) applications, schoolchildren can benefit from interactive, engaging learning experiences. Experiential learning is therefore situated in a context relevant to schoolchildren’s learning experience with digital technologies such as AR in museums, hence, it seems appropriate to employ Kolb’s (1984) Experiential Learning Cycle as a theoretical base. A museum in the UK was used as a single case study, and experiments and three focus groups were conducted with 19 schoolchildren and data analysed using thematic analysis. This study revealed three new themes specific to schoolchildren’s experiential learning experiences with AR in museums including: (1) integrating AR could further enhance knowledge acquisition, (2) schoolchildren were able to identify their preferred learning style, and (3) schoolchildren are motivated to continue learning with AR in museums. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are presented, as well as suggestions for future research

An Adoption Framework for Mobile Augmented Reality Games: The Case of Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go was the first mobile augmented reality (AR) game to reach the top of the download charts of mobile applications. However, little is known about this new generation of mobile online AR games. Existing theories provide limited applicability for user understanding. Against this background, this research provides a comprehensive framework based on uses and gratification theory, technology risk research, and flow theory. The proposed framework aims to explain the drivers of attitudinal and intentional reactions, such as continuance in gaming or willingness to invest money in in-app purchases. A survey among 642 Pokémon Go players provides insights into the psychological drivers of mobile AR games. The results show that hedonic, emotional, and social benefits and social norms drive consumer reactions while physical risks (but not data privacy risks) hinder consumer reactions. However, the importance of these drivers differs depending on the form of user behavior

Embodiment of Wearable Augmented Reality Technology in Tourism Experiences

The increasing use of wearable devices for tourism purposes sets the stage for a critical discussion on technological mediation in tourism experience. This paper provides a theoretical reflection on the phenomenon of embodiment relation in technological mediation and then assesses the embodiment of wearable augmented reality technology in a tourism attraction. The findings suggest that technology embodiment is a multidimensional construct consisting of ownership, location, and agency. These support the concept of technology withdrawal, where technology disappears as it becomes part of human actions, and contest the interplay of subjectivity and intentionality between humans and technology in situated experiences such as tourism. It was also found that technology embodiment affects enjoyment and enhances experience with tourism attractions