When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality

Radiah Rivu; Yumeng Zhou; Robin Welsch; Ville Mäkelä; Florian Alt

doi:10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality

Radiah Rivu^*, Yumeng Zhou, Robin Welsch, Ville Mäkelä, Florian Alt

^*Corresponding author for this work

Not published at Aalto University

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

In this paper, we investigate how mismatches between biological gender and avatar gender affect interpersonal distance (IPD) in virtual reality (VR). An increasing number of VR experiences and online platforms like Rec Room and VRChat allow users to assume other genders through customized avatars. While the effects of acquaintanceship and gender have been studied with regard to proxemic behavior, the effect of changed genders remains largely unexplored. We conducted a user study (N = 40, friends = 20, strangers = 20) where users played a two-player collaborative game in Rec Room using both male and female avatars. We found that with swapped avatar genders, the preferred distance increased between friends but not between strangers. We discuss how our results can inform researchers and designers in the domain of multi-user VR.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings
Editors	Carmelo Ardito, Rosa Lanzilotti, Alessio Malizia, Alessio Malizia, Helen Petrie, Antonio Piccinno, Giuseppe Desolda, Kori Inkpen
Publisher	Springer
Pages	234-250
Number of pages	17
ISBN (Print)	9783030856069
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16
Publication status	Published - 2021
MoE publication type	A4 Conference publication
Event	International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction - Bari, Italy Duration: 30 Aug 2021 → 3 Sept 2021 https://www.interact2021.org/

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science
Publisher	Springer
Volume	12936
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction
Abbreviated title	INTERACT
Country/Territory	Italy
City	Bari
Period	30/08/2021 → 03/09/2021
Internet address	https://www.interact2021.org/

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

Cite this

Rivu, R., Zhou, Y., Welsch, R., Mäkelä, V., & Alt, F. (2021). When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality. In C. Ardito, R. Lanzilotti, A. Malizia, A. Malizia, H. Petrie, A. Piccinno, G. Desolda, & K. Inkpen (Eds.), Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings (pp. 234-250). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 12936). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

Rivu, Radiah ; Zhou, Yumeng ; Welsch, Robin et al. / When Friends Become Strangers : Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality. Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings. editor / Carmelo Ardito ; Rosa Lanzilotti ; Alessio Malizia ; Alessio Malizia ; Helen Petrie ; Antonio Piccinno ; Giuseppe Desolda ; Kori Inkpen. Springer, 2021. pp. 234-250 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science).

@inproceedings{cfdc8f53a6e047dbb36b66fda8ef3027,

title = "When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality",

abstract = "In this paper, we investigate how mismatches between biological gender and avatar gender affect interpersonal distance (IPD) in virtual reality (VR). An increasing number of VR experiences and online platforms like Rec Room and VRChat allow users to assume other genders through customized avatars. While the effects of acquaintanceship and gender have been studied with regard to proxemic behavior, the effect of changed genders remains largely unexplored. We conducted a user study (N = 40, friends = 20, strangers = 20) where users played a two-player collaborative game in Rec Room using both male and female avatars. We found that with swapped avatar genders, the preferred distance increased between friends but not between strangers. We discuss how our results can inform researchers and designers in the domain of multi-user VR.",

author = "Radiah Rivu and Yumeng Zhou and Robin Welsch and Ville M{\"a}kel{\"a} and Florian Alt",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} 2021, IFIP International Federation for Information Processing.; International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, INTERACT ; Conference date: 30-08-2021 Through 03-09-2021",

year = "2021",

doi = "10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16",

language = "English",

isbn = "9783030856069",

series = "Lecture Notes in Computer Science",

publisher = "Springer",

pages = "234--250",

editor = "Carmelo Ardito and Rosa Lanzilotti and Alessio Malizia and Alessio Malizia and Helen Petrie and Antonio Piccinno and Giuseppe Desolda and Kori Inkpen",

booktitle = "Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings",

address = "Germany",

url = "https://www.interact2021.org/",

}

Rivu, R, Zhou, Y, Welsch, R, Mäkelä, V & Alt, F 2021, When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality. in C Ardito, R Lanzilotti, A Malizia, A Malizia, H Petrie, A Piccinno, G Desolda & K Inkpen (eds), Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol. 12936, Springer, pp. 234-250, International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, Bari, Italy, 30/08/2021. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality. / Rivu, Radiah; Zhou, Yumeng; Welsch, Robin et al.
Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings. ed. / Carmelo Ardito; Rosa Lanzilotti; Alessio Malizia; Alessio Malizia; Helen Petrie; Antonio Piccinno; Giuseppe Desolda; Kori Inkpen. Springer, 2021. p. 234-250 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science; Vol. 12936).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference article in proceedings › Scientific › peer-review

TY - GEN

T1 - When Friends Become Strangers

T2 - International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction

AU - Rivu, Radiah

AU - Zhou, Yumeng

AU - Welsch, Robin

AU - Mäkelä, Ville

AU - Alt, Florian

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - In this paper, we investigate how mismatches between biological gender and avatar gender affect interpersonal distance (IPD) in virtual reality (VR). An increasing number of VR experiences and online platforms like Rec Room and VRChat allow users to assume other genders through customized avatars. While the effects of acquaintanceship and gender have been studied with regard to proxemic behavior, the effect of changed genders remains largely unexplored. We conducted a user study (N = 40, friends = 20, strangers = 20) where users played a two-player collaborative game in Rec Room using both male and female avatars. We found that with swapped avatar genders, the preferred distance increased between friends but not between strangers. We discuss how our results can inform researchers and designers in the domain of multi-user VR.

AB - In this paper, we investigate how mismatches between biological gender and avatar gender affect interpersonal distance (IPD) in virtual reality (VR). An increasing number of VR experiences and online platforms like Rec Room and VRChat allow users to assume other genders through customized avatars. While the effects of acquaintanceship and gender have been studied with regard to proxemic behavior, the effect of changed genders remains largely unexplored. We conducted a user study (N = 40, friends = 20, strangers = 20) where users played a two-player collaborative game in Rec Room using both male and female avatars. We found that with swapped avatar genders, the preferred distance increased between friends but not between strangers. We discuss how our results can inform researchers and designers in the domain of multi-user VR.

U2 - 10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

DO - 10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

M3 - Conference article in proceedings

AN - SCOPUS:85115232197

SN - 9783030856069

T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science

SP - 234

EP - 250

BT - Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings

A2 - Ardito, Carmelo

A2 - Lanzilotti, Rosa

A2 - Malizia, Alessio

A2 - Petrie, Helen

A2 - Piccinno, Antonio

A2 - Desolda, Giuseppe

A2 - Inkpen, Kori

PB - Springer

Y2 - 30 August 2021 through 3 September 2021

ER -

Rivu R, Zhou Y, Welsch R, Mäkelä V, Alt F. When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality. In Ardito C, Lanzilotti R, Malizia A, Malizia A, Petrie H, Piccinno A, Desolda G, Inkpen K, editors, Human-Computer Interaction – INTERACT 2021 - 18th IFIP TC 13 International Conference, Proceedings. Springer. 2021. p. 234-250. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science). doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-85607-6_16

When Friends Become Strangers: Understanding the Influence of Avatar Gender on Interpersonal Distance in Virtual Reality

Abstract

Publication series

Conference

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this