Restorativeness mediates the effect of a brief virtual reality mindfulness exposure with a multi-ethnic group in a natural environment on global identity salience: a pilot study with adolescents.
Frontiers in psychology January 1, 2025 Claudia Russo, Luciano Romano, Davide Clemente et al. 1 citation
Adolescents who watched a 360-degree VR video of multi-ethnic youths practicing mindfulness in a natural setting felt more restored and, in turn, reported a stronger sense of global identity—feeling connected to humanity as a whole—compared to those who watched a VR video of multi-ethnic youths playing volleyball in the same environment. The indirect effect of the mindfulness video on global identity through restorativeness was significant. The study involved 94 Italian adolescents randomly assigned to one of the two VR conditions. These findings highlight restorativeness as a key mechanism linking brief mindfulness exposure in a virtual natural environment to global identity salience during adolescence.