Extensive research has examined presence and basic psychological needs (drawing on Self-Determination Theory) in digital media. While prior work offers hints of potential connections, we lack a systematic account of whether and how distinct presence dimensions map onto the basic needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness. We surveyed 301 social VR users and analyzed using Structural Equation Modeling. Results show that social presence predicts all three needs, while self-presence predicts competence and relatedness, and spatial presence shows no direct or moderating effects. Gender and age moderated these relationships: women benefited more from social presence for autonomy and relatedness, men from self- and spatial presence for competence and autonomy, and younger users showed stronger associations between social presence and relatedness, and between self-presence and autonomy. These findings position presence as a motivational mechanism shaped by demographic factors. The results offer theoretical insights and practical implications for designing inclusive, need-supportive multiuser VR environments.
In Social Virtual Reality (VR), people use avatars to express identity. But how different social contexts influence the weighting of identity aspects people attribute to avatars, and the potential impact on avatar switching to their perception of identity consistency, remains unclear. To address this gap, our study employed a questionnaire-based survey with 100 participants. We found that people place greater emphasis on expressing their age, aesthetics and culture through avatars, relative to other identity aspects. Whereas attributes, such as one's physical disabilities and mental health, are consistently hidden. Education and social status are context-dependent. Beyond adjusting these components, users also employed complete avatar switching as a strategy for meeting social expectations and protecting privacy. Furthermore, although people perceived identity change when switching avatars, their core identity was considered stable. This study advances knowledge of identity practices in digital spaces, and offers insights for designing inclusive Social VR platforms that support multi-context identity expression.
Foreign language speaking anxiety (FLSA) poses a major challenge for English-language learners, suppressing confidence and triggering a cycle of avoidance that hinders language acquisition. To address this, we explored the use of LLM-based embodied conversational agents (ECA) in social virtual reality (VR), which provide personalized support and multimodal interaction in a contextualized environment. We developed three English-language learning scenarios in social VR and conducted a five-day mixed-methods study where participants (N=20) engaged in daily 30-minute role-play practice with an LLM-based ECA to evaluate the efficacy of the system. Quantitative results showed a significant reduction in self-reported FLAS after 3 days, along with subtle gains in speaking proficiency measures. Qualitatively, learners perceived increased confidence, attributing it to the LLM-based ECA's non-judgmental stance, linguistic scaffolding, affective encouragement, and adaptive feedback. Our findings suggest the potential of LLM-based ECAs in social VR for language learning and offer considerations for future agent design.
In social virtual reality (VR) platforms, players can embody "non-human" avatars, which are representations whose appearance or skeletal structure diverge from typical human characteristics. This capability fosters the emergence of distinctive cultures of social interaction. This paper reports on interviews with users who employ such avatars, investigating (1) motivations for their adoption, (2) their impact on social interactions, and (3) challenges encountered when employing them in social contexts. Our findings reveal that users adopt "non-human" avatars both to escape the expectations and norms associated with the human body—thereby enabling more relaxed social communication—and to gain access to new forms of embodied experience and creative self-expression. The study also provides empirical evidence and discussion on the cultures of social interaction mediated by alternative embodiments, changes in bodily perception resulting from prolonged use, functional and social challenges related to avatar use, and the design strategies and etiquette practices developed to overcome them.
This study investigates how avatar customization in virtual reality (VR) impacts trust formation between unacquainted individuals and how such trust transfers to subsequent face-to-face (FtF) meetings. A user study with 48 participants was conducted, where participants were assigned to either a ``Similar-Self'' condition, with avatars resembling their real-world appearance, or an ``Alt-Self'' condition, with creative avatars. The results showed that ``Similar-Self'' avatars led to higher initial integrity-based trust perceptions, though both avatar conditions exhibited similar trust growth during VR encounters. Trust carried over from VR to FtF with a brief recalibration period and ultimately increased beyond VR levels in FtF encounters. This research provides insights into how VR can support the development of trust in early-stage interactions and offers implications for Social VR platforms to better support trustworthy interactions across virtual-physical boundaries.
The sense of presence is central to immersive experiences in Virtual Reality (VR), and particularly salient in socially rich platforms like social VR. While prior studies have explored various aspects related to presence, less is known about how ongoing usage behaviors shape presence in everyday engagement. To address this gap, we examine whether usage intensity, captured through frequency of use, session duration, and years of VR experience, predicts presence in social VR. A survey of 295 users assessed overall, social, spatial, and self-presence using validated scales. Results show that both frequency and duration consistently predict higher presence across all dimensions, with interaction effects indicating that frequent and extended sessions synergistically amplify the experience of “being there.” These effects were stable across age and gender. Our findings extend presence research beyond the laboratory by identifying behavioral predictors in social VR and offer insights for building inclusive environments that reliably foster presence.
The dominant narrative in HCI positions older adults as struggling to adopt virtual reality (VR), framing resistance as user deficit. We challenge this through a critical systematic review of 85 papers (2017–2024) using resistant reading, adapted from feminist literary theory. Our analysis surfaces 284 instances documented as “adoption failures” but reinterpreted as design intelligence. We identify a “Vicious Cycle of Deficit-Focused Inquiry” whereby researchers document friction, interpret it as inadequacy, and design “solutions” reproducing deficit assumptions. This cycle operates across four dimensions: Activity (prescribed tasks vs. authentic presence), Embodiment (prosthetic correction vs. embodied dignity), Environment (spatial rescue vs. permeable boundaries), and Accessibility (independence vs. interdependence). We contribute resistant reading as method for meta-analysis, empirical evidence of institutional epistemic injustice in HCI, and four Critical Re-Orientations reframing friction as testimony about systemic inadequacy. Documented resistance constitutes a coherent critique of platforms designed for gaming rather than comfort, agency, and connection.