Virtual Reality Exergaming During Work Breaks in Office Employees

Heart rate will be continuously recorded in beats per minute (bpm) using a Polar H10 chest-strap sensor. For each experimental condition, resting heart rate will be defined as the mean heart rate recorded during the 3-minute rest period immediately before the intervention. Mean exercise heart rate will be defined as the mean heart rate recorded throughout the 10-minute exercise session. The effects of the intervention conditions on heart rate will be evaluated by comparing resting and mean exercise heart rate values across the gamified virtual reality exergaming, serious virtual reality exergaming, and traditional video exercise conditions.

Perceived exertion will be assessed using the Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion Scale, which ranges from 6 (no exertion or very, very light exertion) to 20 (maximal exertion). The outcome will be saved as the post-intervention score and the pre-intervention score for each condition. A higher positive value indicates a greater increase in perceived exertion.

Affective valence will be assessed using the single-item Feeling Scale, which ranges from -5 (very bad) to +5 (very good). The outcome will be saved as the post-intervention score and the pre-intervention score for each condition. A higher positive value indicates a more favorable change in how the participant feels.

Felt arousal will be assessed using the single-item Felt Arousal Scale, which ranges from 1 (low arousal) to 6 (high arousal). The outcome will be saved as the post-intervention score and the pre-intervention score for each condition. A higher positive value indicates a greater increase in felt arousal.

Positive and negative experience will be assessed using the 12-item Scale of Positive and Negative Experience (SPANE). The scale consists of six positive-experience items and six negative-experience items, each rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (never) to 5 (always). Separate scores will be calculated for the positive experience subscale (SPANE-P) and the negative experience subscale (SPANE-N). Each subscale score ranges from 6 to 30. Higher SPANE-P scores indicate greater positive experience, whereas higher SPANE-N scores indicate greater negative experience. The scale will be administered immediately before and immediately after each intervention, and pre- and post-intervention scores for both subscales will be compared across the three intervention conditions.

Flow state will be assessed using the nine-item state version of the Short Flow State Scale-2. The scale evaluates dimensions of the immediate flow experience, including challenge-skill balance, action-awareness merging, clear goals, unambiguous feedback, concentration, sense of control, loss of self-consciousness, transformation of time, and autotelic experience. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (do not agree at all) to 5 (completely agree). Higher total scores indicate a more intense flow experience.

Exercise enjoyment will be assessed using the eight-item version of the Physical Activity Enjoyment Scale (PACES-8). The scale consists of eight bipolar items rated on 7-point response scales and evaluates how participants feel about the physical activity they have just completed. Higher total scores indicate greater exercise enjoyment.

Activity satisfaction will be assessed using the three-item Activity Satisfaction Scale. Each item is rated on a 7-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (completely agree). Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction with the exercise activity completed during the experimental session.

Perceived system usability will be assessed using the 10-item System Usability Scale. Each item is rated on a 5-point scale from 1 (strongly disagree) to 5 (strongly agree). The scale evaluates participants' perceptions of the effectiveness, efficiency, ease of use, and overall usability of the virtual reality system. Higher scores indicate better perceived system usability.

Virtual reality-related discomfort will be assessed using the nine-item Virtual Reality Discomfort Scale. The scale evaluates two dimensions of discomfort: oculomotor symptoms, such as eye strain and blurred vision, and disorientation symptoms, such as dizziness and nausea. Each item is rated on a 4-point scale from 0 (none) to 3 (severe). Higher scores indicate greater virtual reality-related discomfort.