Enhancing construction safety training through emotion-eliciting virtual reality

Purpose – This study explores the potential of virtual reality (VR) to enhance construction safety training by eliciting critical emotional responses, particularly in novices lacking firsthand experience with hazardous scenarios. By targeting emotions like fear and distress, VR aims to improve hazard recognition and foster risk-averse behaviors, addressing gaps in traditional training methods. Design/methodology/approach – The study involved 55 construction management students using a VR simulation integrated with haptic feedback to replicate accident scenarios. Emotional responses were measured through galvanic skin response (GSR) metrics, pre- and post-experience self-reported questionnaires and semi-structured interviews. Participants navigated a virtual construction site, identified hazards and experienced a simulated accident to assess emotional and behavioral impacts. Findings – The VR simulation significantly increased emotional arousal, with GSR data showing a strong effect size and significant increases in distress, guilt, fear and shame. Participants reported heightened empathy, guilt and responsibility during post-VR interviews. These findings suggest that VR effectively engages users emotionally, bridging the experiential gap in traditional training by replicating hazardous scenarios with high realism and impact. Practical implications – The study highlights VR's potential as a scalable, immersive training tool for eliciting emotional and physiological precursors associated with risk-averse decision-making in the construction industry. By evoking anticipatory emotions theorized to influence risk perception, VR may help prepare novices to engage more cautiously with hazardous scenarios, though the link between these precursors and actual safety behavior requires field validation. Originality/value – This research provides empirical evidence of VR's capability to elicit emotional responses that influence decision-making in hazardous environments. It offers valuable insights for developing innovative, emotionally engaging safety training programs for the construction sector.