Immersive storytelling for pro-environmental behaviour change: The Green Planet augmented reality experience

Immersive media is becoming more mainstream but its role in challenging social norms and individuals’ behaviours is less understood. We implemented a survey at The Green Planet Augmented Reality Experience, one of the largest immersive experiences in the United Kingdom, investigating the potential of nature-themed augmented reality (AR) experiences to encourage sustainability beliefs and pro-environmental behaviours, with a one-month follow-up. A video condition group was also recruited to watch a 2D screen-capture video of the AR experience. Results suggest that the AR group had increased in sustainability attitudes and pro-environmental behaviours after (vs. before) the experience, and this persisted at follow-up one month later. When compared to the video group, the AR group scored higher in sustainability beliefs immediately after engaging with the media (but did not differ in pro-environmental behavioural intentions). At a one-month follow-up, both groups appeared to have declined in sustainability beliefs and behaviours in comparison to immediately after media exposure (but were still greater when compared to before exposure). While the two groups did not differ in sustainability beliefs, AR visitors reported to have performed more pro-environmental behaviours in the month following the experience and even increased significantly more since before attending the experience when compared to those in the video condition. Finally, we built a model of cognitive mechanisms of longitudinal pro-environmental behaviour change by media, identifying the sense of presence and connection with nature as mechanisms through which immersive media can promote greater behaviour change when compared to traditional video media. Limitations and industry implications are discussed.