A comparison study between 3D virtual reality art-making and 2D art-making with traditional art materials among adolescents

This qualitative pilot study investigated the drawing experiences of five adolescent participants to examine virtual reality (VR) as an expressive tool for art therapy for trauma-exposed youth. The participants drew their safe space with traditional art materials (TAM) and then replicated it three-dimensionally utilizing the Oculus Quest for VR artmaking. A phenomenological comparison approach allowed the researcher to explore the data collected through thematic analysis. The investigator presents five themes as the result of five transcribed and coded semi-structured interviews: lack of knowledge/confidence, novelty, empowerment, multisensory, and an unexpected finding of gender-switching to avoid cyberbullying. The results of this pilot study suggest that VR fostered the adolescents’ participation while empowering them to express thoughts, actions, and emotions in nontraditional forms.