This article (1) looks at the role of virtual mobility on how/what people create in VR and (2) introduces a VR-specific creativity coding scheme based on prior literature. Key findings show that restricted movement leads to fewer deletions, fewer 3D models, shorter creations, and less practical designs.

How do we best train people prior to VR? This article explores how different training methods (paper, video, VR) can help users better navigate VR experiences, and how these methods differ for those with tech anxiety. This study (n=284) found that video or direct VR training helped users master VR functions better than paper training + those who trained directly in VR had less of a negative experience using VR for completing tasks. However, tech anxiety played a role: those with high tech anxiety struggled more, regardless of training method. They found tasks harder, training less useful, and had a more negative experience overall.

This 2-study article looks how the presence of other virtual people and physical people contextualize and influence nonverbal behaviors. Study 1 examines virtual context and looks at group interactions (n=104) while in a private (alone with group) or public (surrounded by multiple other groups) virtual environment. Results showed that participants moved their avatars slower and stood closer to group members in public versus private environments.

Study 2 examines physical context and looks at group interactions (n=61) while people are physically alone/remote or together in a shared physical space. Results showed that, compared to remote participants, participants who were physically together moved their bodies more slowly, but their avatars faster. Moreover, there was more mutual gaze among remote participants.

This article looks at how people speak in social VR by analyzing 4,800 minutes of conversation, specifically looking at language patterns and how they tie to presence - the feeling of "being there." Key findings show that self-references and collective references correlate with higher social and spatial presence. Additionally, greater interpersonal distance was associated with more impersonal language.

This article discusses the challenges + successes of integrating VR into classrooms through observations from the Virtual People course. Key insights include the need to acclimate students to VR, select appropriate tasks, manage technical issues, and plan both physical and virtual course configurations.

This article investigates how properties of the virtual room, namely ceiling height and floor size, shape people's attitudes and nonverbal behaviors during social interactions. Groups of 3-4 participants (n=110) used VR to have a discussion+engage in different activities in a virtual room that varied in ceiling height (low, high) and floor size (small, large) every week for four weeks.

Results from self-report + motion (head, hands) data showed that virtual rooms with: High ceilings led to greater restorativeness, awe, momentary affective well-being + more social attention to other group members. Large floor areas led to greater sense of awe. High ceiling x large floor area led to slower physical head movement + greater interpersonal distance from other group members.

This article examines the psychological effects of passthrough video in mixed reality (MR) headsets + highlights their growing role in media, technical limitations, and psychological impacts. While passthrough can inspire awe and enable new applications, it may also cause visual aftereffects, distance misjudgment, simulator sickness, and social disconnection.

This article investigates the the design process in VR by extracting + analyzing behaviors of 254 students creating 730 designs. This article explores how these behaviors + virtual context inform final creations.

This article explores the role of visual proximity and discrepancy of one's avatar to their physical self + how this can impact different people differently. Discrepancy across 13 objective features (i.e., skin color, eye shape) reduced psychological connection between self and avatar. Asian participants showed particularly high discrepancy.

Who you are and where you are matter during social interactions in VR. This 2-study article explores how avatar appearance (Study 1, n=81) and environmental contexts (Study 2, n=137) impact atttidues and behaviors, and how these evolve over time. Self-presence and realism increased over time in both studies. Avatars resembling participants increased nonverbal synchrony and realism but reduced enjoyment. As visible space increased, so did nonverbal synchrony, perceived restorativeness, entitativity, pleasure, arousal, self- and spatial presence, enjoyment, and realism. Outdoor environments increased perceived restorativeness and enjoyment more than indoor environments.

There has been growing interest in using VR as a solution for many of the challenges facing distance education, such as fostering a sense of connectedness with classmates. However, implementing VR in distance education has its share of challenges, such as hardware accessibility and a scarcity of content which match curricula. This exploratory study presents observations on instructors' and students' experiences across time and with VR use. The key takeaway is: without learning how to use VR first, students cannot learn inside VR.