You are here

FAU Collections » FAU Research Repository » FAU Theses and Dissertations

Homebound: Exploring Environmental Storytelling in Spatial Virtual Reality to Breakdown Psychological Borders and Build Empathy

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2020
Abstract/Description:
The problem of immigration has been around since the dawn of man because humans cannot just stay in one place, especially if that place is not suitable for their lives and their families. It is a reasonable expectation of the human condition to want to feel free and safe because we do not live in a utopian society. There are social injustices, wars, and atrocities that threaten the most basic of human needs and freedoms in many countries across the globe. Homebound, the virtual reality experience, which was developed in Unreal, aims to make sense of this crisis and shed light on the lives affected by this social ill. By using rich environments, virtual production and motion capture, to construct a place that captures the realism of the illegal immigration narrative, this manuscript will show how behavioral and gameplay psychology, when paired with environmental storytelling, can be utilized to craft impactful and empathetic, immersive stories and edutainment experiences for the player.
Title: Homebound: Exploring Environmental Storytelling in Spatial Virtual Reality to Breakdown Psychological Borders and Build Empathy.
84 views
27 downloads
Name(s): Martinez, Brandon Christopher , author
Maraffi, Christopher , Thesis advisor
Florida Atlantic University, Degree grantor
School of Communication and Multimedia Studies
Dorothy F. Schmidt College of Arts and Letters
Type of Resource: text
Genre: Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Created: 2020
Date Issued: 2020
Publisher: Florida Atlantic University
Place of Publication: Boca Raton, Fla.
Physical Form: application/pdf
Extent: 92 p.
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: The problem of immigration has been around since the dawn of man because humans cannot just stay in one place, especially if that place is not suitable for their lives and their families. It is a reasonable expectation of the human condition to want to feel free and safe because we do not live in a utopian society. There are social injustices, wars, and atrocities that threaten the most basic of human needs and freedoms in many countries across the globe. Homebound, the virtual reality experience, which was developed in Unreal, aims to make sense of this crisis and shed light on the lives affected by this social ill. By using rich environments, virtual production and motion capture, to construct a place that captures the realism of the illegal immigration narrative, this manuscript will show how behavioral and gameplay psychology, when paired with environmental storytelling, can be utilized to craft impactful and empathetic, immersive stories and edutainment experiences for the player.
Identifier: FA00013482 (IID)
Degree granted: Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2020.
Collection: FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection
Note(s): Includes bibliography.
Subject(s): Virtual reality
Immigrant experiences
Empathy
Digital humanities
Held by: Florida Atlantic University Libraries
Sublocation: Digital Library
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/fau/fd/FA00013482
Use and Reproduction: Copyright © is held by the author with permission granted to Florida Atlantic University to digitize, archive and distribute this item for non-profit research and educational purposes. Any reuse of this item in excess of fair use or other copyright exemptions requires permission of the copyright holder.
Use and Reproduction: http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution: FAU
Is Part of Series: Florida Atlantic University Digital Library Collections.