The aim of the study was to explore the potential of games for climate change engagement. The study is part of the "Our Planet at Play" project, which developed a new digital game to promote citizens' engagement with climate change and climate action, titled "Climate Connected: Outbreak". The questionnaire is partly based on a set of pre-designed questionnaires. For more information on the construction of the questionnaire, see the section Related Materials. The study was carried out in the Ludus laboratory at Tampere University, where participants played the game in immersive VR, played on a computer screen, or read a text with the same information as the game. In two of the groups, the participants were exposed to a version of the PC game and the text occurring in Tampere, Finland. Respondents answered some of the questions before entering the lab. The variables describing these questions are DemGender, DemAge, DemBorn, DemResidence, DemEdu, EnvId, StdArcPre, SdtMotPre, DistPre, ClimAttPre, IssInvPre, EnvEffPre, PlacAtt, CultIndiv, CultHierarchy, SocDes. The other questions and variables were answered after the experience. First, the survey asked respondents about their knowledge of climate change and infectious diseases before and after participating in the virtual reality experience. This was followed by more detailed questions about participants' experience and also about their relationship with climate change and the environment. Next, the survey asked respondents about their pro-environmental motivations and attitudes before and after the virtual reality experience. Participants were also asked about their attitudes towards climate change. Before the experience, wider attitudes and opinions about society were asked and a set of statements were presented for participants to rate whether they described them. After the experience, respondents were then asked what actions they were prepared to take on a regular basis in relation to climate change. The background variables included gender, age, country or region of birth, place of residence and level of education.

2024