Virtual Reality as a Research Tool

In T. Reimer, L. van Swol., & A. Florack (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Communication and Social Cognition. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor and Francis (In Press)

25 Pages Posted: 24 May 2024

See all articles by Portia Wang

Portia Wang

Stanford University

Jeremy N. Bailenson

Stanford University - Department of Communication

Date Written: 2024

Abstract

This chapter provides an overview of the research possibilities of studying social cognition and communication using virtual environments. We begin by giving an overview of the related technology, specifically the hardware and software used to develop and support virtual reality (VR) experiences. Then, we review and contextualize three methodological problems of experimental social psychology outlined by Blascovich and colleagues in 2002, namely the experimental control-mundane realism trade-off, lack of replication, and the use of nonrepresentative samples, and specifically focus on how VR can mitigate the three problems. We next give examples of research topics social scientists have studied using the framework provided by Fox and colleagues’ 2009 work. We then lay out the current landscape of large-scale virtual reality studies with a review of 34 studies, focusing on their setting, recruitment methods and implementations of the VR experiences. Finally, we discuss implications for future research.

Keywords: Social Cognition, Social Psychology, Virtual Reality

Suggested Citation

Wang, Portia and Bailenson, Jeremy N., Virtual Reality as a Research Tool ( 2024). In T. Reimer, L. van Swol., & A. Florack (Eds.), The Routledge Handbook of Communication and Social Cognition. New York, NY: Routledge/Taylor and Francis (In Press), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4805041 or http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.4805041

Portia Wang (Contact Author)

Stanford University ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305
United States

Jeremy N. Bailenson

Stanford University - Department of Communication ( email )

Stanford, CA 94305-2050
United States

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