Presence, flow, and narrative absorption questionnaires: a scoping review

Abstract

Background: This is a review and analysis of the questionnaires most used in empirical research on psychological phenomena labelled as “presence,” “flow,” and “narrative absorption,” mostly for experiences mediated by technology (printed books, screens for games and films, and virtual reality). Overlapping concepts have been formulated in different fields according to specific disciplinary interests and based on knowledge within each field. Objectives: This review focuses on how language is actually used in questionnaire items, rather than on how concepts are formulated top-down and associated with corresponding linguistic expressions that become items of a questionnaire. The goal is to highlight similarities and overlaps in order to show a possible interdisciplinary agreement about the core aspects of the psychological states elicited by mediated experiences. Eligibility criteria: Questionnaires developed or used for research about VR, video games, films, or books have been selected for analysis. They should be available in English and used in empirical research since the year 2000. Sources of evidence: A search has been performed through Google Scholar and two other disciplinary bibliographies edited by international learned societies. Charting methods: The items of each questionnaire are categorized based on their wordings, and thus independently from the conceptual models within which they have been developed.  Based on this categorization, various domains to which the items can be ascribed are identified (e.g. space, realism, agency, etc.) and psychological phenomena are linked to them (e.g. presence, social presence, narrative absorption, etc.). Results: 308 items in 23 questionnaires have been found to have overlapping of wordings. Conclusions: A list of the core aspects of presence, social presence, flow, and narrative absorption is presented, together with a critical selection of items suitable to measure each construct.