| Summary: | Virtual Reality (VR) technology is used in various fields, and research on VR creative activities has been widely conducted. This study examined the effects of VR environment on divergent thinking, a component of creative thinking. Specifically, two experiments were conducted to test the prediction that viewing visually open VR environments with immersive head-mounted displays (HMD) affects divergent thinking. Divergent thinking was evaluated using Alternative Uses Test (AUT) scores; AUT was performed while the participants viewed the experiment stimuli. In Experiment 1, I manipulated the VR viewing medium by having one group view a 360° video with an HMD and a second group view the same video on a computer screen. Additionally, I established a control group that viewed a real-world laboratory instead of the videos. The HMD group showed higher AUT scores than the computer screen group. In Experiment 2, I manipulated the spatial openness of a VR environment by having one group view a 360° video of a visually open coast and a second group view a 360° video of a visually closed laboratory. The coast group showed higher AUT scores than the laboratory group. In conclusion, exposure to a visually open VR environment on an HMD promotes divergent thinking. The limitations of this study and suggestions for further research are discussed.
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