Examining the effects of presence and authenticity on Visitor's well-being in CAVE VR museum: A mixed methods study

Although visitors' authentic experience is vital for the development of immersive museums, few studies explored its concept, antecedents, and consequences in the VR museum context. Especially, previous studies have contradictory findings on the causal relationship between presence and authenticity, and little attention focused on its impact on visitors' high-level positive psychological states, like well-being. Based on this, we conducted a mixed-method research design. Through a pilot interview study (N = 45), we first elucidated the significance of authenticity in CAVE VR museum visits. Then, we clarified the theoretical framework between presence, authenticity, and well-being through ground theory analysis based on three-round interview data (N = 20), and using a field questionnaire survey (N = 317) to verify: presence is the antecedent of authenticity, specifically, physical and social presences trigger object-based and existential authenticity, and ultimately promotes visitor's well-being. Our study enriches the theories related to presence and authenticity, provides suggestions for the development of immersive museums.