VR avatars rival online interactions in creating closeness

The Purdue Memorial Union during the winter season.

January 30, 2023 Purdue News

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. —

Can virtual reality (VR) avatars foster meaningful human connections as effectively as that of other online communication methods, and even real-life interactions? A Purdue University case study suggests they can. The study also demonstrates the potential for VR avatar use to reduce race and gender bias.

“We hypothesized that outcomes wouldn’t differ regardless of whether the interacting avatars appeared to be human or not and regardless of whether there was a match or a mismatch in avatar type between interactants,” said Chris Agnew, the study’s author and a professor of psychological sciences in Purdue’s College of Health and Human Sciences. “Our results showed that closeness and related outcomes can be generated and experienced in virtual reality regardless of the stylized avatar types we used in the study.”

Agnew also suggests that if non-human VR avatars allow people to meaningfully connect, they may have untapped potential for mitigating bias by eliminating gender, race and ethnicity cues from interactions.

More information can be read on Purdue’s Office of the Executive Vice President for Research website.

Media Contact: Amy Raley, araley@purdue.edu