{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,7,31]],"date-time":"2026-07-31T11:53:19Z","timestamp":1785498799955,"version":"3.56.0"},"reference-count":55,"publisher":"Public Library of Science (PLoS)","issue":"1","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2025,1,30]],"date-time":"2025-01-30T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1738195200000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"http:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["www.plosone.org"],"crossmark-restriction":false},"short-container-title":["PLoS ONE"],"abstract":"<jats:sec id=\"sec001\">\n<jats:title>Objective<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>To understand the impact of fidelity and perceived realism on virtual reality food choices, and task motivation, engagement, and interest.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec002\">\n<jats:title>Design<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Randomized controlled trial.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec003\">\n<jats:title>Setting<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Online.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec004\">\n<jats:title>Participants<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>84 participants recruited from Amazon Mechanical Turk.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec005\">\n<jats:title>Intervention<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Participants were randomly assigned to either a high- (n = 43) or a low- (n = 41) visual fidelity environment and were asked to select foods to have a meal with a friend.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec006\">\n<jats:title>Main outcome measures<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Food choice, motivation of food choices, engagement, and interest.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec007\">\n<jats:title>Analysis<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Simple linear regressions between visual fidelity and perceived realism, and log-linear regressions for visual fidelity or perceived realism on either motivation, interest, or engagement. Poisson models between visual fidelity or perceived realism, and food selections.<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec008\">\n<jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Manipulating visual fidelity was not associated with perceived realism, motivation, interest, or engagement in the food selection task. Perceived realism increased motivation by 0.3% (SE 0.056; p = 0.022), interest by 1.4% (SE 0.002; p&lt;0.001), and engagement by 0.9% (SE 0.001; p&lt;0.001) in the food selection task. High visual fidelity decreased the total number of foods selected (B = 0.216; CI (-0.384; -0.047); p = 0.012).<\/jats:p>\n<\/jats:sec>\n<jats:sec id=\"sec009\">\n<jats:title>Conclusion and implications<\/jats:title>\n<jats:p>Perceived realism, but not visual fidelity, is important for task related factors like motivation, engagement, and interest. 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