Why and how to use virtual reality to study human social interaction: The challenges of exploring a new research landscape

Abstract

As virtual reality (VR) technology and systems become more commercially available and accessible, more and more psychologists are starting to integrate VR as part of their methods. This approach offers major advantages in experimental control, reproducibility, and ecological validity, but also has limitations and hidden pitfalls which may distract the novice user. This study aimed to guide the psychologist into the novel world of VR, reviewing available instrumentation and mapping the landscape of possible systems. We use examples of state‐of‐the‐art research to describe challenges which research is now solving, including embodiment, uncanny valley, simulation sickness, presence, ethics, and experimental design. Finally, we propose that the biggest challenge for the field would be to build a fully interactive virtual human who can pass a VR Turing test – and that this could only be achieved if psychologists, VR technologists, and AI researchers work together.

Virtual reality and the new psychophysics

“…This kind of realism inconsistency is not only restricted to a disparity between appearance and motion, however, but could also reflect disparities for example between static facial features (e.g., artificial eyes on a realistic face; Seyama & Nagayama, 2007) or between face and voice realism levels (Mitchell et al, 2011). This may mean that the 'Mons Olympus' challenge of building a fully interactive virtual human, as posed by Pan and Hamilton (2018), would actually require a virtual character that not only acts but also looks fully human. For example, machines that are able to feel, and humans that are not, are considered eerie at a conceptual level (Gray & Wegner, 2012).…”

“…For example, machines that are able to feel, and humans that are not, are considered eerie at a conceptual level (Gray & Wegner, 2012). This may mean that the 'Mons Olympus' challenge of building a fully interactive virtual human, as posed by Pan and Hamilton (2018), would actually require a virtual character that not only acts but also looks fully human.…”

“…Pan and Hamilton (2018) provide a useful overview of methodological recommendations for using VR in social interaction research and discuss a number of challenges VR is still facing. However, the generalizability of findings to natural contexts could at times be called into question.…”

“…We suggest that VR is not dissimilar to such methods, except for being more radical by exchanging the normal perceptual environment with a completely virtual one. Pan and Hamilton (2018) provide a useful overview of methodological recommendations for using VR in social interaction research and discuss a number of challenges VR is still facing. Overall, they emphasize the value of VR settings with ever greater realism and interactive responsiveness.…”

Virtually the ultimate research lab

“…The target article by Pan and Hamilton (2018, in this issue) considers the challenges and possibilities of virtual reality to study social interactions. The authors appreciate the potential to realize experiments with both ecological and internal validity.…”