Emotional Regulation and Physiological Responses to a Cultural Heritage Virtual Reality Experience in Older Adults: Mixed Methods Study

A cultural heritage-based virtual reality (VR) experience significantly enhanced positive affect and reduced negative affect in older adults compared to a conventional photorealistic VR environment, suggesting its potential as a low-burden intervention for emotional well-being. The study, conducted using the UNESCO World Heritage-listed Historic Centre of Macao, integrated subjective psychological assessments with objective physiological measures—such as electrodermal activity (EDA) and heart rate variability—to explore mechanisms underlying emotional regulation. While EDA showed notable interindividual variability without consistent group-level effects, the findings propose a conceptual pathway linking digital cultural experiences to emotional engagement and psychological well-being in aging populations. This research contributes to the development of content- and experience-oriented approaches in digital therapeutics.

Lai, Y., & Wang, P. (2026). Emotional Regulation and Physiological Responses to a Cultural Heritage Virtual Reality Experience in Older Adults: Mixed Methods Study. JMIR Aging, 9, e91772–e91772. https://doi.org/10.2196/91772