Exploration of the Mechanism of Perception-Presence Coupling in Immersive Cultural Science Communication
Abstract
With the development of immersive technologies such as VR, AR and XR, cultural science communication is shifting from the model of information transfer to that of experience. Research has been conducted so far on the effects of immersive technology; however, it has not been fully understood how perception produces presence and helps construct cultural meaning. The purpose of this paper is to study the mechanism of perception-presence coupling in immersive cultural science communication. This paper proposes a Perception–Presence Coupling Model to explain how immersive technologies facilitate cultural science communication through the transformation of perception into meaningful experiences. Through literature synthesis and theoretical analysis, the study identifies three core mechanisms: perceptual amplification, contextual alignment, and embodied engagement. These mechanisms explain how multimodal perception contributes to the formation of spatial, narrative, and cultural presence, thereby facilitating knowledge engagement and cultural meaning construction. The Digital Dunhuang Cave 285 virtual reality project is discussed as an illustrative case to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed framework. The findings suggest that presence is a necessary but insufficient condition for cultural meaning construction, requiring additional interpretive support and reflective interaction. This study provides a theoretical foundation for future research and design practices in immersive cultural communication and digital heritage experiences.
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