Since VR is often highly visual, we wanted to pair it down on what other elements or sense modalities make us feel present or immersed. The experiment invited participants to smell 6 different scent and listened to an accompanying sound, while blindfolded, inspired by a sort of wine tasting.
These were the pairings:
Apple Cider + Informational narration about Cider making
Brazilian Coffee + Personal story from coffee growers
Lavender + Sound of buzzing bee
Smoked Cedar Whiskey + “Tennessee Whiskey” by Chris Stapleton
Chocolate Chai + Ambient sound of an Indian market
Rum + A cappella pirate song
Some pairings had more obvious correlation, others were purposefully contrasting.
