A Study on the Mechanism by Which Spatial Interaction Experience in Immersive AR Games of Intangible Cultural Heritage Influences Cultural Cognition and Communication Intention

This study focuses on serious games for intangible cultural heritage (ICH) empowered by augmented reality (AR) technology, aiming to explore the mechanism by which spatial interaction experiences in immersive AR games influence cultural cognition and communication intention. An experimental design was adopted involving a treatment group (n = 60) and a control group (n = 60), with empirical validation conducted through pre- and post-tests of knowledge, Likert-scale questionnaires, and SmartPLS path analysis. A structural equation model was constructed around the pathway of “spatial interaction → cultural cognition → emotional involvement → communication intention,” incorporating the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), perceived sustainability cognition (PSC), and cultural identity (CI) as contextual antecedents of cognitive and affective processes. Results show that spatial interaction significantly enhances cultural cognition. Among all paths, the direct influence of cultural cognition on communication intention was the strongest. While emotional engagement did not form a full mediation, it positively contributed to the transformation of cognition. Both PSC and CI exhibited positive associations with the cognitive–affective pathways, complementing the effects of spatial interaction. Although multi-group analysis (MGA) did not reveal statistically significant differences, the path coefficients of the experimental group were consistently higher than those of the control group, indicating a positive trend. This study validates the cognitive mechanisms and dissemination potential of AR-based serious games in ICH education and cultural promotion, expands the integrated modeling of TPB, PSC, and CI, and provides theoretical support and practical implications for the development of immersive cultural communication systems and interactive experience design.