Watching Scenarios Of Undue Influence : Impact On Emotional Reaction Depends On Viewing Technology

Abstract: The Swedish police authority is currently undertaking projects to strengthen the safety of the working environment for police employees. An issue identified in audits related to these projects is that police employees are facing what is called undue influence: events that affect on an emotional level and can induce a social-anxiety-like mindset of self-censorship. This project explores the use of 360-degree video as material for preparing for undue influence and for facilitating discussion about definitions of undue influence among police employees and across regional departments. This involves production of 360-degree video-material and a comparative study. The video-production is an example of both how a scenario of undue influence can be portrayed, and of what resources are needed to capture such a scenario. The study explored differing effects on feelings of presence and emotional reactions towards the scenario depending on the viewing technology. The compared viewing technologies were flat-screen monitors and a head mounted display. Results indicate that viewing with the head mounted display prompted stronger reactions on some emotion-subscales and on self-location related feelings of presence.