Exploring the influence of audience familiarity on speaker anxiety and performance in virtual reality and real-life presentation contexts

Who’s Watching Me?: Exploring the Impact of Audience Familiarity on Player Performance, Experience, and Exertion in Virtual Reality Exergames

“…These positive effects can be attributed to the familiarity and social connection established between the individuals and the audience, creating a more comfortable and engaging atmosphere [6]. However, while previous studies [1,25] have shown the influence of appearance familiarity with the audience on performance outcomes in VR speech training tools, our findings did not reveal a significant effect in the context of exergames. One possible explanation for this discrepancy is the nature of the visually dominant gameplay, which requires players to maintain a visual focus on the tasks at hand.…”

“…Voice feedback does not occupy valuable visual space, allowing users to fully utilize their visual attention for other important aspects of the interaction [5,28]. While previous research [1,25,31] on audience familiarity in virtual environments has rarely involved voice familiarity, our findings indicate that the presence of familiar audience voice can have a meaningful impact on both the performance and overall engagement of users in VR exergames.…”

“…A familiar audience has been shown to enhance social presence and increase user motivation and enjoyment in various contexts, including virtual environments. For instance, recent studies [1,25] have demonstrated that when delivering a speech in a VR environment and facing familiar audiences, users tend to experience a greater sense of relaxation and exhibit improved performance. However, the impact of audience familiarity on player experiences in gaming contexts remains relatively unexplored.…”

Exploring the effect of the Group Size and Feedback of non-player character spectators in virtual reality exergames

“…Finally, while this work is focused on exergames, the findings can also be used for other types of applications [e.g., for language training and learning (Pack et al, 2020 ; Barrett et al, 2023 ) and abstract concept exploration (Lu et al, 2018 , 2023 ; Chen et al, 2021 )] where the presence of a spectator audience can have an impact on users' performance. Still, future studies could explore using spectator NPCs other than exergames, where spectators can be added to give more realism to the applications.…”

Apple Vision Pro: a new horizon in psychological research and therapy

“…This heightened realism, facilitated by the device's highdefinition rendering, paves the way for more authentic and valid research outcomes. For instance, in exposure therapy, therapists can harness the Apple Vision Pro to simulate reallife scenarios in a controlled yet authentic setting, aiding patients in gradually confronting and overcoming their fears (Carlin et al, 1997;Krijn et al, 2004;Barrett et al, 2023). The enhanced resolution and field of view not only deepen users' immersion in highly detailed and broad virtual environments but also significantly improve the ecological validity of psychological and emotional research within VR, heralding a promising trajectory for future innovations and applications in VR-based emotional and behavioral studies.…”