@inproceedings{66144357ca674b36ab4e626c26f9377b,
title = "Virtual Reality and the Affective Gap: Evidence for Immersive Technology as Transitional Support in Undergraduate Science Education",
abstract = "Virtual reality (VR) functions as an affective infrastructure in STEM by lowering anxiety, unfamiliarity, and fear of error. Evidence from a randomized trial with first-year chemistry students shows that immersive VR reduces pre-lab anxiety without artificially inflating self-efficacy. Grounded in transition theory, affective learning, and STEM identity research, this paper positions VR as a scalable scaffold that normalizes lab environments, enhances psychological safety, and supports equitable preparation for in-person lab participation and persistence.",
keywords = "affective readiness, educational equity, laboratory anxiety, STEM education, Virtual reality",
author = "Rezvan Joshaghani and Yanyan Zong and Steven Cutchin",
note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2026 IEEE.; 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2026 ; Conference date: 21-03-2026 Through 25-03-2026",
year = "2026",
doi = "10.1109/VRW70859.2026.00052",
language = "English",
series = "Proceedings - 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2026",
publisher = "Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.",
pages = "248--253",
booktitle = "Proceedings - 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces Abstracts and Workshops, VRW 2026",
address = "United States",
}