성인 이전 실감미디어 경험이 성인기 지속사용의도에 미치는 영향: 가치기반수용모델(VAM)과 긍정적 기술준비도(Positive TRI)를 중심으로

This study examines whether immersive media experiences before the age of 19 influence adults' continuous usage intentions of such technologies, by integrating the Value-Based Adoption Model (VAM) and Positive Technology Readiness Index (Positive TRI). Immersive media, including Virtual Reality (VR), Augmented Reality (AR), and Mixed Reality (MR), has expanded across sectors but lacks empirical evidence on long-term adoption behavior, especially across age groups. Using data from 250 Korean adults in their 20s (40%), 30s (40%), and 40s (20%) who had experience using immersive media post-adulthood, we tested a structural equation model (SEM). Among them, 32.4% reported using immersive media before the age of 19. The study finds that such early exposure significantly enhances Positive TRI (β = 0.172, p = 0.042), which in turn positively affects perceived usefulness (PU; β = 0.777, p < .001), perceived enjoyment (PE; β = 0.553, p < .001), and technology self-efficacy (TSE; β = 0.737, p < .001)—the core benefit factors in VAM (Table 5). These benefit factors robustly predict perceived value (PV), particularly PU (β = 0.879, p < .001) and PE (β = 0.468, p < .001), which then strongly determines continuous usage intention (IU; β = 0.799, p < .001). Interestingly, the hypothesized negative impacts of sacrifice factors—technical complexity (Tech) and perceived cost (PC)—on perceived value were not statistically significant. Although Tech and PC were negatively associated with Positive TRI (β = –0.261 and –0.173 respectively, both p < .001), they did not directly reduce perceived value in the final SEM. This suggests that users weigh the benefits of immersive media more heavily than its technical burdens when evaluating value. Age-group analysis reveals differentiated patterns: among users in their 20s, enjoyment had a particularly strong effect on perceived value, whereas users in their 30s were the only group for whom technical complexity negatively influenced value perception. Notably, the 40s group showed the strongest influence of early immersive media experience on Positive TRI (β = 1.205, p = .013), underscoring the developmental importance of early exposure for long-term technology readiness (Figure 10). Measurement reliability was high, with Cronbach’s alpha values for all constructs exceeding 0.76 (Table 3), and model fit indices for the final SEM indicated adequate fit (CFI = 0.830, RMSEA = 0.086, see Table 4). Additional modification indices suggested covariance relationships between Positive TRI and perceived value (standardized coefficient = 0.708, p = .001), confirming their mutual reinforcement. These findings provide both theoretical and practical insights. Theoretically, this is among the first studies to empirically integrate Positive TRI with VAM in the context of immersive media. It extends technology acceptance research by identifying adolescence as a critical period influencing future digital behavior. Practically, results suggest that early immersive media exposure fosters positive attitudes and long-term engagement, which has implications for user education, policy design, and market targeting by age cohort.