Global Information Systems Management -course. Lecture 14.2. Tampereen yliopisto.

1. Social VR
Global Information Systems Management -course
Tampereen yliopisto
Lecture 14.2.2019
Osku Torro

2. Scope of VR
Sutherland (1965), the father of computer
graphics, put forward the basic thoughts and
classical description of VR at first. He then
created the first Helmet-Mounted Displays
(HMD) and head tracking system in 1968
Today we are, eventually, witnessing an era
of significant technological advancements as
many of world’s biggest companies like
Facebook (Oculus), Microsoft, HTC, Google,
Sony and Apple are preparing to have their
share of exponentially growing VR markets
Readings:
Sutherland, I. E. (1965). The ultimate display. Multimedia: From Wagner
to virtual reality.

3. Hype around VR

4. Social VR: case Nvidia Holodeck

5. Social VR
Sosial virtual reality (SVR) has a
potential to dramatically change how
individuals interact online
”The killer app” for VR
1. Due to sensory immersion, ”brain
treats it as real”
2. You can go back in time
3. You can turn physics on and off
4. You can become a different person
(see The Proteus Effect)
Bailenson (2018). Experience on Demand: What Virtual Reality Is, How
It Works, and What It Can Do.
Bailenson, Jeremy N., et al. "Transformed social interaction: Decoupling
representation from behavior and form in collaborative virtual
environments." Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments 13.4
(2004): 428-441.

6. Basic characteristics of social VR
SVR CHARACTERISTICS
SVR TOOLS (that enable sociability) FEATURES
Avatars Form and photographic realism (looks),
behavioral realism (behavior), avatar
customization, sensorimotor actions
Virtual space Spatial navigation, “six degrees of
freedom”, spatial sound
Virtual objects 3D/2D objects, interactivity, task related
content
Verbal communication Speech, text-based interaction
Non-verbal communication E.g. facial expressions, gestures, posture,
tone of voice, eye tracking, emoticons…

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AVATARS
Form and photographic realism (looks),
behavioral realism (movements)
Persuasion, teaching, likeability in VR… it’s
behavioral realism that counts (many
studies confirm this)
Valid sensorimotor actions
Avatar customization: you can ”become a
different person” (The Proteus Effect)

8. Proteus effect: taller avatars behave more
confidently
• Study 1: Participants assigned taller avatars behaved more confidently in a negotiation
task than participants assigned shorter avatars (Yee and Bailenson, 2007)
• Study 2: This effect persisted in subsequent F2F setting as well (Yee and Bailenson,
2009)
The proteus effect: The effect of transformed self-representation on behavior (Yee and Bailenson, 2007)
The Proteus Effect: Implications of Transformed Digital Self-Representation on Online and Offline Behavior (Yee and Bailenson, 2009)

9. Proteus effect – more attractive avatars
increase self-disclosure and intimacy behavior
• Study 1: “The experimenters found that participants in attractive avatars walked closer
and disclosed more personal information to the confederate than participants in
unattractive avatars.”
• Study 2: Also these results (boost in self confidence) lasted after the experiment in real
world setting as well (measured by the use of a dating app)
The Proteus Effect: Implications of Transformed Digital Self-Representation on Online and Offline Behavior (Yee and Bailenson, 2009)

10. Proteus effect – practical implications?
• Avatars are communicative tools and display systems (intentional, unintentional; consious,
unconsious; verbal and non-verbal)
• Avatar customization in SVR has potential to affect self-presence, and therefore, online
identity and behavior
• How about in virtual teams, context of collaboration, dialogue, problem solving, informal
interaction, democratizing decision making, etc?
https://www.businessinsider.com/facebook-social-experiment-reveals-introverts-open-up-more-in-vr-2017-1?r=US&IR=T&IR=T

11. Brains treats VR as real: the Walk Again Project
Paralyzed patients used Brain-
Computer Interface (BCI),
robots and VR to simulate
walking
VR ”creates a feeling that
patients are walking by
themselves, not with the
assistance of devices”

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VIRTUAL SPACE
Spatial navigation, “six degrees of
freedom”, spatial sound
VR space can be “an atom or an
universe” (Foreman, 2010)
Place Illusion in SVR is a result of
immersion, which is facilitated by
sensorimotor actions supported by
technology; “illusion of being in a
distant place, that is, being there”
(Torro, 20xx)
Virtual reality in Psychology (Foreman, 2010)

13. Manipulating time and space
• SVR enable manipulations of time and space:
• Navigation also by flying, teleporting, etc.
• Taking different perspectives: egocentric (1st person) or exocentric (“bird eye”)
• Manipulating time: participants may choose to “re-wind” a conversation to hear part of it again, or
“pause” while they collect their thoughts (Fox et al., 2009)
Readings:
Virtual Reality: A Survival Guide for the Social Scientist (Fox et al., 2009)

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VIRTUAL OBJECTS
3D/2D objects, interactivity, task related
content
Challenges:
High quality content that is context
specific
What are the interactions that
should be supported?
Where does the value come from?

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VERBAL & NON-VERBAL
COMMUNICATION
Verbal communication:
- Speech, text-based interaction
- Synchronous and asyncronous
Non-verbal communication:
- E.g. facial expressions, gestures,
posture, tone of voice, gaze,
emoticons…
- Mimicry (see The Chameleon
Effect)
SVR is the ultimate
communication platform

16. Nonverbal behavior is largely automatic
• “In 2018, commercial systems typically track body movements 90 times per second to
display the scene appropriately, and high-end systems record 18 types of movements
across the head and hands. Consequently, spending 20 minutes in a VR simulation leaves
just under 2 million unique recordings of body language”
• Studies have been able to predict e.g. attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD),
autism, learning, emotions from non-verbal data
• How about other practical implications, e.g. in marketing?
Protecting Nonverbal Data Tracked in Virtual reality (Bailenson, 2018)

17. Non-verbal interaction – ”in the year 2000”
• Body language, posture, gestures,
facial expressions, etc. act as a
positive feedback loop - “a social glue”
between people
• How about combining AI with avatars?
• What if AI controlled avatars (agents)
begin mutually cause “social
hallusinations” in each other?
• Machine-machine communication,
machine learning and non-verbal
interaction
• AI that controls its own behavior AND
affects to behavior of others AND learns
from this
Metzinger, T. K. (2018). Why Is Virtual Reality Interesting
for Philosophers?. Frontiers in Robotics and AI, 5, 101.

18. Social Extended Reality (SXR) - project
Implementing SXR (social
extended reality) in
construction industry:
User centric design
Collaboration and
communication
Distance guidance
Education
Marketing