The Integration of Interactive Psychoeducation and Virtual Agent Embodiment in Virtual Reality Training: An Evaluation on Breathing Techniques
Authors:Corrò, C. and Chittaro, L.
Published in:IEEE Transactions on Learning Technologies, 2026.
Abstract:Immersive virtual reality (VR) is increasingly used in
education for its ability to create engaging learning experiences.
However, VR-based systems for skill acquisition, especially in the
health domain, often lack adequate educational foundations, potentially limiting their effectiveness. To address this limitation, this article investigates an interactive psychoeducation that incorporates
users’ real-time physiological signals. Moreover, given the growing
use of virtual agents in education and their potential to enhance psychoeducation delivery through natural human-like interactions,
this article also studies the role of virtual agent embodiment as
a second variable. We conducted a 2 × 2 between-subjects study
(n = 56) using a VR-based breathing training system, varying
the presence of psychoeducation and virtual agent embodiment to
assess their individual and combined impacts on users’ self-efficacy,
motivation, attention, social presence, and performance of the
taught skill. Results revealed that psychoeducation significantly
enhanced self-efficacy and motivation, particularly by increasing
participants’ interest in, and perceived value of, the experience,
while agent embodiment improved social presence, relatedness, and
skill performance. These findings show that interactive psychoeducation and embodied virtual agents can enhance complementary
aspects of VR-based training effectiveness.
