Document Type

Thesis

Date of Degree Completion

Spring 2026

Degree Name

Master of Science (MS)

Department

Psychology

Committee Chair

Kara Gabriel

Second Committee Member

Christina Bistricean

Third Committee Member

Mary Radeke

Abstract

Previous work in the field of environmental psychology has shown that virtual nature exposure can produce many psychological benefits for the viewer. Within this literature, however, there has been no examination of the effects of virtual nature exposure on levels of state hope, a goal-directed positive psychological construct made up of two types of thought: agency and pathways. Additionally, there has been no direct examination of the effect of immersion level of the virtual nature exposure on psychological measures. To fill this gap in the literature, the current study examined the effects of virtual nature exposure and video immersion on state hope. Due to their potential to act as covariates, data on nature relatedness and upbringing setting were collected in the current study. Participants were shown one of four experimental videos: high immersion nature, low immersion nature, high immersion urban, and low immersion urban. Urban videos served as a control group due to their prevalence as a control in other environmental psychology studies. Data analysis was conducted on responses from 82 Central Washington University students ranging in age from 18 to 48 years (Mage = 19.9, SD = 4.88). Results of a multiple analysis of covariance (MANCOVA) found no main effects of virtual nature exposure or immersion level, no interaction effects with these variables, as well as no covariate effects from nature relatedness or upbringing setting. Separate follow-up analyses of covariance (ANCOVA) tests analyzing effects on each state hope subscale found no significant relationships. Results of the current study show that virtual nature exposure, no matter the immersion level, does not alter state hope levels. These findings contribute to the ongoing effort to understand the relationship between virtual nature exposure and positive psychological measures.

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