Immersion in Mediated Environments: The Role of Personality Traits

Previous research studies in the context of presence point out the importance of personality factors. Surprisingly, the relation between immersion and the Big Five personality factors has not yet been examined. Hence, we assessed these traits in an online survey (N=220) and relate them to immersive tendency, a disposition that determines whether someone is receptive to immersive experiences during media exposure. Using structural equation modeling, we can show that openness to experience, neuroticism, and extraversion are positively related to immersive tendency. The immersive tendency subscale absorption is related to openness to experience, whereas the immersive tendency subscale emotional involvement is related to openness, extraversion, and neuroticism.