Does VR Feel Right? Intuitive Fit as a Missing Piece in Adoption Models
(A2026-134279)

AUTHORS

Anja von Bosse, University of the Bundeswehr Munich; Philipp Rauschnabel, Digital Marketing and Media Innovation

ABSTRACT

Despite years of optimism and technical progress, consumer adoption of virtual reality (VR) headsets remains low. Existing research largely assumes that users make rational benefit-risk evaluations, yet many consumers who recognize VR’s advantages still decline to adopt it, indicating that current rational models such as technology acceptance theories may miss a key mechanism. This paper introduces and validates the construct intuitive fit as an explanation for this gap. Using a qualitative pre-study and two VR field trials, we compare intuitive fit as a pre-reflective, affective sense that a technology “feels right” with established technology acceptance predictors. Across our studies, intuitive fit outperforms traditional cognitive beliefs in explaining adoption intentions. Our findings highlight the importance of incorporating intuitive responses into acceptance models and reveal how firms can foster adoption via trial-based, emotionally resonant strategies.