Social Effects of Virtual Humans

Researchers have investigated how people respond to computers and virtual humans. Nass and Moon have shown that people react to and attribute very human characteristics to computers, such as the computer’s helpfulness, expertise, and friendliness. Using a virtual human interface minimizes the need for training users, since they already know how to interact with other people. Zanbaka et al., found that people respond to virtual humans similarly to the way they respond to real humans. The authors were able to elicit social inhibition from female participants in response to a virtual human observer.

Mel Slater’s group at UCL has conducted studies of the social ramifications of having avatars in virtual environments. They were able to elicit emotions such as embarrassment, irritation, and self-awareness in virtual meetings. They found that the presence of avatars was important for social interaction, task performance, and presence. Raij et. al. examined perceived similarities and differences in experiencing an interpersonal scenario with a real and virtual patient. They found lower ratings on participants’ rapport and conversational flow with the virtual patient was attributed to the limited expressiveness of the virtual patient. Level of immersion and natural interaction also facilitated the participants’ ability to perform a training task with a virtual patient as effectively as with a real patient