The Young Adults' Experiences With Virtual Reality (YAES VR) Study
NYU Langone Health
Summary
The purpose of this study is to test the effect of virtual reality (VR) food marketing exposure (versus VR non-food control) on snack consumption, purchase intention, hunger, and arousal in black and white young adults. Participants will be randomized to either the VR food marketing condition or VR non-food control. Study participation duration will be 2 hours during a one-time, single visit.
Description
Food marketing has been unequivocally linked to poor diet and risk of excessive weight gain in young people. Food companies disproportionately target Black consumers with more advertisements ("ads") and the least healthy ads, contributing to nutritional disparities and nutrition-related diseases. To expand their reach, food companies have developed virtual reality (VR) marketing experiences that are engaging, highly sophisticated, and may more powerfully elicit biological signals precipitating a motivation to consume foods. Yet, little is known about how exposure to VR food marketing influence…
Eligibility
- Age range
- 18–24 years
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Yes
Inclusion Criteria: 1. 18-24 years old; 2. self-identify as Black or white in order to determine racial/ethnic differences in responses to unhealthy VR-based food and beverage marketing; 3. self-report normal or corrected-to-normal vision from glasses or contacts; 4. self-report comfort and ability to walk around within a VR paradigm; 5. able to read, write, understand, and respond to all study materials (including the VR paradigm) in English 6. residing in the NYC-metropolitan area in order to be available for in-person study 7. capacity and willingness to provide consent Exclusion Criteria…
Interventions
- BehavioralWendyverse VR food marketing experience
In the Wendyverse VR application ("app") participants can order from a Wendy's restaurant, play games, meet with others who may be visiting the Wendyverse, and access codes that can be used to obtain free food at physical restaurants.
- BehavioralNikeland VR non-food marketing experience
In Nikeland VR app, participants can play sports, try on apparel, and engage with celebrity athletes.
Location
- NYU Langone HealthNew York, New York