Uncanny valley effect: A qualitative synthesis of empirical research to assess the suitability of using virtual faces in psychological research

Natale, Anna Flavia Di; Simonetti, Matilde Ellen; Rocca, Stefania La; Bricolo, Emanulea

doi:10.1016/j.chbr.2023.100288

Cited by 7 publications

(1 citation statement)

References 46 publications

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“…Representing realistic and, at the same time, dynamic and responsive human avatars in virtual environments remains a demanding task (Di Natale et al, 2023;Hepperle et al, 2022). Virtual faces created with today's advanced digital graphics technologies, although appearing remarkably realistic, are still perceived as not fully human, which is reflected at both the behavioral and neural levels (uncanny valley effect; Di Natale et al, 2023;Hepperle et al, 2022;Miller et al, et al, 2017;Sollfrank et al, developments also have an impact on practical research areas that focus on recognizing, interpreting, and responding to human emotions, such as emotional artificial intelligence (AI), where AI systems are used to improve the interaction between machines and humans in this regard. Here, EEG data is being utilized to gain deeper insights into emotion recognition processes, with the aim of modeling them (Kamble & Sengupta, 2023;J.…”

Section: Limitations and Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrophysiological correlates of face and object perception: A comparative analysis of 2D laboratory and virtual reality conditions

Sagehorn,

Johnsdorf,

Kisker

et al. 2024

Psychophysiology

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Human face perception is a specialized visual process with inherent social significance. The neural mechanisms reflecting this intricate cognitive process have evolved in spatially complex and emotionally rich environments. Previous research using VR to transfer an established face perception paradigm to realistic conditions has shown that the functional properties of face‐sensitive neural correlates typically observed in the laboratory are attenuated outside the original modality. The present study builds on these results by comparing the perception of persons and objects under conventional laboratory (PC) and realistic conditions in VR. Adhering to established paradigms, the PC‐ and VR modalities both featured images of persons and cars alongside standard control images. To investigate the individual stages of realistic face processing, response times, the typical face‐sensitive N170 component, and relevant subsequent components (L1, L2; pre‐, post‐response) were analyzed within and between modalities. The between‐modality comparison of response times and component latencies revealed generally faster processing under realistic conditions. However, the obtained N170 latency and amplitude differences showed reduced discriminative capacity under realistic conditions during this early stage. These findings suggest that the effects commonly observed in the lab are specific to monitor‐based presentations. Analyses of later and response‐locked components showed specific neural mechanisms for identification and evaluation are employed when perceiving the stimuli under realistic conditions, reflected in discernible amplitude differences in response to faces and objects beyond the basic perceptual features. Conversely, the results do not provide evidence for comparable stimulus‐specific perceptual processing pathways when viewing pictures of the stimuli under conventional laboratory conditions.

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Section: Limitations and Outlookmentioning

confidence: 99%

Electrophysiological correlates of face and object perception: A comparative analysis of 2D laboratory and virtual reality conditions

Sagehorn,

Johnsdorf,

Kisker

et al. 2024

Psychophysiology

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Reconciling the personalization–privacy paradox via DoctorBots: The roles of service robot acceptance model elements and technology anxiety

Shi,

Lu,

Zhou

2023

J of Consumer Behaviour

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The role of artificial intelligence (AI)‐based DoctorBots in improving healthcare and the medical industry is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. However, contrary to the general view that AI can gradually replace human work, user acceptance of DoctorBots has become an obstacle to the development of AI medical diagnosis. Building on the service robot acceptance model (sRAM), this study investigates the potential of the functional, socioemotional, and relational elements of DoctorBots to reconcile the personalization–privacy paradox, thus enhancing user acceptance. Via two scenario‐based experiments with 398 participants, this study reveals that the negative influence of the personalization–privacy paradox on user acceptance is exacerbated when users' technology anxiety is high. In addition, an online survey of 400 DoctorBot users indicates that ease of use, subjective social norms, social presence, and rapport are effective in addressing both nonpersonalization (NPC) and privacy concerns (PVC). These findings suggest that the healthcare industry can leverage DoctorBots to implement self‐diagnosis. Specifically, DoctorBots' functional elements are effective in mitigating users' NPC, and their relational elements are effective in extenuating users' PVC.

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Perception of avatars nonverbal behaviors in virtual reality

Etienne,

Leclercq,

Remacle

et al. 2023

Psychology and Marketing

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Virtual reality has shown great potential in many fields, especially in business and psychology. By immersing someone in a new computer‐generated reality, it is possible to create realistic, safe, and controllable simulations for research and training, as well as new three‐dimensional‐enriched consumer experiences and services. Most of these environments, especially in the metaverse, rely on virtual representations of people called avatars. The design and non‐verbal behaviors of these avatars must be carefully crafted to provide a realistic and truly immersive experience. This paper aims to understand how avatar nonverbal behaviors (i.e., body posture, facial expression, and head movement) are perceived by users immersed in a virtual reality context, a very common situation encountered in many simulations and especially during training. Therefore, the first objective of this study is to validate, through an experiment with 125 participants, how the audience's levels of emotional valence and arousal are perceived in virtual reality. Based on these results, a library of audience non‐verbal behaviors corresponding to different arousal and valence levels is now available for future applications. The experiment also examines the benefits of using low‐end versus high‐end virtual reality headsets, and photo‐realistic versus cartoon avatars. The results have implications for the design of realistic, challenging, and interactive virtual audiences.

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Uncanny valley effect: A qualitative synthesis of empirical research to assess the suitability of using virtual faces in psychological research

Cited by 7 publications

References 46 publications

Electrophysiological correlates of face and object perception: A comparative analysis of 2D laboratory and virtual reality conditions

Electrophysiological correlates of face and object perception: A comparative analysis of 2D laboratory and virtual reality conditions

Reconciling the personalization–privacy paradox via DoctorBots: The roles of service robot acceptance model elements and technology anxiety

Perception of avatars nonverbal behaviors in virtual reality

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