Virtual Reality

Abstract

In this article, we provide the nontechnical reader with a fundamental understanding of the components of virtual reality (VR) and a thorough discussion of the role VR has played in social science. First, we provide a brief overview of the hardware and equipment used to create VR and review common elements found within the virtual environment that may be of interest to social scientists, such as virtual humans and interactive, multisensory feedback. Then, we discuss the role of VR in existing social scientific research. Specifically, we review the literature on the study of VR as an object, wherein we discuss the effects of the technology on human users; VR as an application, wherein we consider real-world applications in areas such as medicine and education; and VR as a method, wherein we provide a comprehensive outline of studies in which VR technologies are used to study phenomena that have traditionally been studied in physical settings, such as nonverbal behavior and social interaction. We then present a content analysis of the literature, tracking the trends for this research over the last two decades. Finally, we present some possibilities for future research for interested social scientists.Virtual reality (VR) was originally conceived as a digitally created space that humans could access by donning sophisticated computer equipment (Lanier, 1992;Rheingold, 1991;Sutherland, 1968). Once inside that space, people could be transported to a different world, a substitute reality in which one could interact with objects, people, and environments, the appearance of which were bound only by the limits of the human imagination. Images of people in bulky headgear, heavily wired gloves, and space age clothing became symbolic of the emergent technological revolution of computing and the possibilities of transforming the capabilities of the human mind and body. Futurists heralded VR as an imminent transition in the ways humans would experience media, communicate with one another, and even perform mundane tasks. In the early nineties, pioneering scientists began considering new ways this groundbreaking technology could be used to study social interaction and other psychological phenomena (Bente, 1989; Biocca 1992a,b;Loomis, 1992). In subsequent years, VR has continued to capture the imagination of scientists, philosophers, and artists for its ability to substitute our physical environment and our sensory experiences -what we understand as reality -with digital creations.In the current paper, we seek to provide the reader not familiar with virtual reality technology with a fundamental understanding of its components and provide all readers with a comprehensive analysis of the role VR has played in social science. First, we define the nature of virtual reality and virtual environments. Next, we present an overview, designed for the nontechnical reader, of the hardware and equipment used to create virtual reality. Then, we discuss the history of VR research in the social sciences. From this literature, we delineate three ...

Cognitive mechanisms for responding to mimicry from others

“…If untrained participants are instructed to mimic it is necessary to perform manipulation checks, such as asking the participant to report how well they followed the instruction (Maddux et al, 2008) or video recording their behaviour . Even with trained confederates, it may be hard to achieve consistent performance (Fox et al 2009). …”

“…Virtual characters are 'reverse engineered' (Fox, Arena, & Bailenson, 2009) to only perform the necessary behaviours, such as speaking, blinking and mimicking or not mimicking (Bailenson & Yee, 2005). The mimicry and control conditions are also well-matched, because the character is always animated with real movements made by a person being mimicked.…”

Subliminal Cueing of Selection Behavior in a Virtual Environment

“…More effort is needed to explore subliminal influences in HCI systematically, by choosing settings that are representative, clearly specifying the techniques under investigation for specific classes of cues, and determining stimulus visibility. These efforts would ensure that results of experiments could inform subsequent research with clearer and more generalizable implications, notably in the context of virtual product experience and electronic shopping (Fox et al, 2009;Desmet, Bordenave, & Traynor, 2013;Jiang & Benbasat, 2004). In particular, it would allow demonstrating the feasibility and potential applicability of including subliminal cues to promote users' interaction with 3D objects in VEs.…”

“…Indeed, VEs are increasingly used to study realistic tasks in a variety of areas (Fox, Arena, & Bailenson, 2009), supporting the study of presence and, more recently, research in various areas of neuroscience. Over the years, virtual reality (VR) has been considered in research for investigating perception and consciousness (Sanchez-Vives & Slater, 2005).…”

A Low Cost Implementation of an Existing Hands-on Laboratory Experiment in Electronic Engineering

“…In virtual reality technology, the goal is to immerse a user (viewer) within a virtual environment and so real objects are excluded (or removed) from the environment and replaced by computer generated equivalent models. Virtual reality systems are usually classified according to the degree of immersion in to three different level of immersion, namely none, semi and fully immersive [6]. Non-immersive virtual reality systems generally do not provide a stereo view of the environment.…”