View in EDS

Modeling Escapism and Immersive Experience in the Metaverse.

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: Modeling Escapism and Immersive Experience in the Metaverse.
Authors: Radia, Karan Nilesh1 (AUTHOR), Aagja, Jayesh2 (AUTHOR), Das, Kallol3 (AUTHOR), Rao, U T3 (AUTHOR), Sharma, Anuj4 (AUTHOR) f09anujs@iimidr.ac.in
Source: Journal of Computer Information Systems. Jul2025, p1-19. 19p. 5 Illustrations.
Subject Terms: *VIRTUAL communications, IMMERSIVE design, FANTASY (Psychology), CONTEXTUAL analysis, SHARED virtual environments, MENTAL health
Abstract: As the metaverse emerges as a prominent domain of digital interaction, understanding what drives immersive user engagement is increasingly critical for developers, scholars, and policymakers. Escapism—the desire to cognitively disengage from reality—has surfaced as a key psychological antecedent to immersive experience in virtual environments. This study offers conceptual and methodological advancements by modeling escapism as a second-order formative construct and immersive experience as a second-order reflective construct, thus adopting a formative—reflective higher-order modeling approach rarely applied in this domain. Using survey data from metaverse users, the study tests a structural model linking escapism, immersive experience, and downstream outcomes. Findings demonstrate that immersive experience fully mediates the effect of escapism on hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, and user engagement, thereby highlighting its central role in translating psychological triggers into user outcomes. The study offers theoretical clarity and practical insights for developers to equip them to deliver a metaverse experience aligned with users’ escapism-related expectations. It also provides inputs relating to policy guidance for using escapism to promote responsible digital well-being, thereby contributing to the public good and aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of promoting well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Copyright of Journal of Computer Information Systems is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites without the copyright holder's express written permission. Additionally, content may not be used with any artificial intelligence tools or machine learning technologies. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)
Database: Business Source Index
Description
Abstract:As the metaverse emerges as a prominent domain of digital interaction, understanding what drives immersive user engagement is increasingly critical for developers, scholars, and policymakers. Escapism—the desire to cognitively disengage from reality—has surfaced as a key psychological antecedent to immersive experience in virtual environments. This study offers conceptual and methodological advancements by modeling escapism as a second-order formative construct and immersive experience as a second-order reflective construct, thus adopting a formative—reflective higher-order modeling approach rarely applied in this domain. Using survey data from metaverse users, the study tests a structural model linking escapism, immersive experience, and downstream outcomes. Findings demonstrate that immersive experience fully mediates the effect of escapism on hedonic well-being, eudaimonic well-being, and user engagement, thereby highlighting its central role in translating psychological triggers into user outcomes. The study offers theoretical clarity and practical insights for developers to equip them to deliver a metaverse experience aligned with users’ escapism-related expectations. It also provides inputs relating to policy guidance for using escapism to promote responsible digital well-being, thereby contributing to the public good and aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal of promoting well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
ISSN:08874417
DOI:10.1080/08874417.2025.2530054