How exhibit media shape immersive experience: a comparative study of emotional engagement and learning motivation in museum environments

Immersive and multimodal interpretation technologies are increasingly employed in museums to enrich visitor experiences and cultural learning. However, limited empirical research has systematically compared how different interpretation modalities – ranging from conventional audio guides to multimedia smart guides and wearable AR glasses – shape visitors’ emotional engagement, cognitive processing, and learning motivation within the same exhibition context. This study investigates the effects of three interpretive modalities – Audio Guide, Smart Guide, and AR glasses – on immersive experience, reflective connection, cognition, and intrinsic motivation in a real-world museum setting. A between-subjects experiment was conducted at the Shanghai Museum with 90 participants, all exposed to identical cultural content through different interpretive media. Visitor experience was assessed using a multidimensional questionnaire, supplemented by qualitative interviews. The results show that AR glasses significantly enhance sensory immersion and emotional engagement, while smart guides tend to provide a clearer cognitive structure and greater interpretive clarity. However, higher levels of immersion do not necessarily lead to stronger reflective connection or sustained learning motivation. These findings underscore the need to balance sensory intensity with cognitive coherence and user autonomy in the design of effective multisensory museum interpretation systems.