2026-10-14T05:03:07Z https://api.figshare.com/v2/oai

oai:figshare.com:article/33971203 2026-09-23T05:53:47Z category_173 portal_316 item_type_3 month_year_09_2026

Data Sheet 1_Metaverse dependency as a psychosomatic risk of immersive platforms: development and validation of the Metaverse Dependency-Related Experiences Scale.pdf Takuto Homma (25094608) Naoki Konishi (16537884) Ryohei Umetani (9046512) Jin Kato (11241997) Takemasa Yokoyama (25094611) Applied Psychology dependence metaverse Metaverse Dependency-Related Experiences Scale (MDRES) scale development social virtual reality Introduction<p>With the continuous expansion of socially immersive “metaverse” platforms, concerns regarding dependence-like tendencies associated with avatar-based virtual environments have grown. However, validated instruments that capture the psychosomatic and immersion-related characteristics central to such environments remain scarce. To address this gap, this study developed and preliminarily validated the Metaverse Dependency-Related Experiences Scale (MDRES), a self-report measure that assesses dependence-like tendencies in communication-oriented virtual environments.</p>Methods<p>This research comprised two studies. Study 1 included the following two phases: Phase 1 involved qualitative item generation based on open-ended responses from active metaverse users, while Phase 2 involved item reduction and exploratory factor analysis (EFA) using the candidate items. Study 2 conducted confirmatory factor analysis and examined associations between the MDRES and theoretically relevant external variables.</p>Results<p>In Study 1 Phase 1, qualitative responses were utilized to generate an initial pool of 52 candidate items. In Study 1 Phase 2, these 52 candidate items were administered, and EFA identified a six-factor, 39-item structure, including Reality Avoidance (α = 0.93), Confusion Between Physical and Virtual Spaces (α = 0.91), Awareness of Physical Symptoms (α = 0.85), Sleep Disturbance-Like Symptoms (α = 0.89), Physical Discomfort/Sensory Abnormalities (α = 0.85), and Stress Relief (α = 0.54). In Study 2, the six-factor structure received initial confirmatory support, while the MDRES subscales exhibited theoretically coherent associations with psychological distress, mood, somatic symptoms, mental health-related indicators, and game engagement.</p>Discussion<p>Overall, the MDRES highlights the multidimensional, psychosomatic, and ambivalent nature (risk-related and stress-relieving) of metaverse involvement and offers a conceptually grounded tool for future work on dependence processes in immersive virtual environments.</p> 2026-09-23T05:53:47Z Dataset Dataset 10.3389/fpsyg.2026.1814271.s001 https://figshare.com/articles/dataset/Data_Sheet_1_Metaverse_dependency_as_a_psychosomatic_risk_of_immersive_platforms_development_and_validation_of_the_Metaverse_Dependency-Related_Experiences_Scale_pdf/33971203 CC BY 4.0