White Lies in Virtual Reality: Impact on Enjoyment and Fatigue

This study examined the impact of a "white lie" designed to boost motivation during virtual reality exercise on enjoyment and mental fatigue. Participants engaged in a ball-throwing or ball-targeting task and were randomly assigned to groups with or without the white lie. Results indicated that both groups experienced similar levels of enjoyment and fatigue, suggesting the white lie had minimal effect on these factors. All participants, regardless of group, reported high levels of enjoyment, with 17 out of 18 indicating they had fun, no significant differences in mental fatigue were found between groups while participants generally favored the white lie. However, the positive experience across all participants highlights the potential of Virtual Reality for promoting exercise engagement.