Exploring user experience and emotional response to immersive 360° videos of bullying: opportunities for psychoeducational trainings

Bullying remains a pervasive issue in educational settings, where bystanders play a critical role in either mitigating or perpetuating its impact. As a result, there is a growing need for effective training tools that can elicit emotional engagement and support motivation to intervene in bullying situations. Immersive virtual reality (IVR) has emerged as a promising medium for anti-bullying interventions, enabling experiential learning and heightened emotional involvement. The present study evaluates a newly developed 360° IVR-based tool designed to support anti-bullying interventions targeting prospective educators who may act as bystanders in future bullying situations. To assess the added value of immersion, the IVR experience was compared to a traditional 2D video. Using a within-subjects experimental design, 38 young adults, primarily prospective educators, were exposed to both presentation modalities. User experience (engagement and social presence), emotional responses, and willingness to intervene were assessed using self-report measures and physiological indicators (heart rate). Results showed that the IVR-based tool significantly enhanced engagement and social presence relative to the 2D video condition. IVR also elicited stronger emotional responses, reflected in higher self-reported guilt and shame and increased heart rate. However, willingness to intervene did not significantly differ between conditions. These findings suggest that IVR is an effective tool for intensifying emotional and experiential aspects of anti-bullying training for prospective bystanders. While heightened emotional engagement alone may not be sufficient to immediately translate into behavioural intentions, IVR shows potential as a component of broader, longitudinal anti-bullying programs aimed at educators in their role as future bystanders.