Augmented Reality Immersive Experience: A Study on The Effects of Individuals' Big Five Personality Traits
Arman Ghafoori, Mohammad I. Merhi, Arjun Kadian, Manjul Gupta, Yifeng Ruan
This study investigates how an individual's personality, based on the Big Five model, impacts their immersive experience with augmented reality (AR). The researchers conducted a survey with 331 participants and used statistical modeling (SEM) to analyze the relationship between different personality traits and various dimensions of the AR experience.
Problem
Augmented reality technologies are becoming increasingly common, especially on social media platforms, creating highly personalized user experiences. However, there is a gap in understanding how fundamental individual differences, such as stable personality traits, affect how users perceive and engage with these immersive AR environments.
Outcome
- Agreeableness and Openness positively influence all four dimensions of the AR immersive experience (education, entertainment, escapism, and aesthetics). - Conscientiousness has a negative impact on the education and escapism dimensions of the AR experience. - Extraversion and Neuroticism were not found to have a significant impact on the AR immersive experience.
Host: Welcome to A.I.S. Insights — powered by Living Knowledge. In a world saturated with technology, we often wonder why some digital experiences delight us while others fall flat. Today, we're diving into a fascinating new study that connects our innermost personality to how we interact with technology.
Host: The study is titled "Augmented Reality Immersive Experience: A Study on The Effects of Individuals' Big Five Personality Traits". It investigates how our core personality traits impact our experience with augmented reality, or AR. Here to help us unpack it is our analyst, Alex Ian Sutherland. Alex, welcome.
Expert: Thanks for having me, Anna.
Host: So, let's start with the big picture. AR technology, like the filters we use on Instagram or apps that let us see furniture in our living room, is becoming a massive industry. But it feels like a one-size-fits-all approach. What’s the real problem this study is trying to solve?
Expert: Exactly. Companies are investing billions in AR to create these highly personalized experiences. But as the study highlights, there's a huge gap in understanding how our fundamental, stable personality traits affect how we engage with them. We know AR is personal, but we don't know *why* it clicks for one person and not another. It’s about moving from generic personalization to truly psychological personalization.
Host: That makes sense. It’s the difference between an app knowing your name and knowing your nature. How did the researchers go about connecting personality to the AR experience?
Expert: They took a really structured approach. They surveyed 331 people, first assessing their personality using the well-established "Big Five" model. That’s Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, and Neuroticism.
Expert: Then, they had these participants rate their AR experience across four key dimensions: education, or how much they learned; entertainment, how fun it was; aesthetics, its visual appeal; and escapism, the feeling of being transported to another world. Finally, they used statistical models to connect the dots between the personality traits and these four experiences.
Host: Alright, let's get to the results. What did they find? Which personality traits were the big drivers for a positive AR experience?
Expert: The clearest finding was for two traits: Agreeableness and Openness. People who are agreeable—meaning they're generally cooperative and trusting—and people who are open to new experiences consistently had a more positive reaction across all four dimensions. They found AR more educational, more entertaining, more visually beautiful, and a better form of escape.
Host: So, open-minded and agreeable people are essentially the ideal audience for AR right now. Were there any surprising findings for the other traits?
Expert: Yes, and this is where it gets really interesting for businesses. Conscientiousness—the trait associated with being organized, diligent, and responsible—actually had a negative impact on the education and escapism dimensions.
Host: Negative? Why would that be?
Expert: Well, the study suggests that highly conscientious individuals are very goal-oriented. They might view AR filters as unproductive or a frivolous distraction from their duties. So, the idea of "escaping" reality doesn't appeal to them, and they may not see playing with a filter as a valuable educational tool. It's simply not an efficient use of their time.
Host: That’s a crucial insight. So for that user, it’s not about fun, it’s about function. What about extraversion and neuroticism?
Expert: Surprisingly, the study found that neither of these traits had a significant impact on the AR experience. You might expect extroverts to love the social nature of AR, but the findings suggest that the technology, in its current form, might not be engaging enough to really capture their attention.
Host: This brings us to the most important question, Alex. Why does this matter for business? What are the practical takeaways for marketers, brand managers, and developers?
Expert: This is the billion-dollar question, and the study offers clear direction. The biggest takeaway is the opportunity for personality-driven marketing. Instead of just basic personalization, brands can now tailor AR experiences to specific psychological profiles.
Host: Can you give me an example?
Expert: Certainly. A social media platform could, as the study suggests, use machine learning to infer a user's personality from their public posts. For a user who appears high in Openness, it could recommend artistic, adventurous, or fantastical AR filters. For a brand, this means a travel company could create an immersive 'escapism' filter and target it specifically at users high in Openness and Agreeableness, knowing it will resonate deeply.
Host: And what about those conscientious users you mentioned, the ones who see AR as a distraction?
Expert: For them, the strategy has to be completely different. You don't market AR as a fun escape. Instead, you frame it as a productivity tool. Think of an AR app from a home improvement store that helps a conscientious user meticulously plan a room layout. It's not an escape from their goals; it’s a tool to help them achieve their goals more effectively. The key is to match the AR experience to the user’s inherent motivations.
Host: This has been incredibly insightful, Alex. So, to recap, our core personality traits are a powerful predictor of how we'll respond to augmented reality.
Host: People high in Agreeableness and Openness are the dream users for immersive, creative AR. But for the highly Conscientious, AR needs to be positioned as a practical, functional tool, not just a toy.
Host: The big takeaway for business is that the future of successful AR isn't just about fancier technology, but about deeper, personality-driven personalization.
Host: Alex Ian Sutherland, thank you for making this complex topic so clear.
Expert: My pleasure, Anna.
Host: And thank you to our listeners for tuning into A.I.S. Insights, powered by Living Knowledge. Join us next time as we continue to explore the intersection of business and technology.
Augmented Reality, Immersion, Immersive Technology, Personality Traits, AR Filters