What's Going On...
Joining UF in the Fall! 🐊
I'll be joining the Department of Media Production, Management, and Technology (MPMT) in the College of Journalism and Communications (CJC) at the University of Florida starting Fall 2025.
See you at AWE 2025 👓
I'll be speaking at the Augmented World Expo (AWE) on a panel on "AI NPCs in Embodied Forums: Humans & NPCs in Social, Education and Business 3D Worlds."
Selected Publications
Below are my highlighted works. You can also read my full CV, which includes a full list of publications, including journal articles, conference proceedings, non-archival conference papers/posters, and book chapters.
Understanding the Role of Virtual Mobility on How and What People Create in Virtual Reality
, Portia Wang, Cyan DeVeaux, Gabriella M. Harari, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Thinking Skills & Creativity, 2025
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nutshell description
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 Different Training Types and Computer Anxiety Influence Performance and Experiences in Virtual Reality
, Ian Strate, Kristine L. Nowak, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Media and Communication, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Alone Together, Together Alone: The Effects of Social Context on Nonverbal Behavior in Virtual Reality
, Cyan DeVeaux, Mark Roman Miller, Gabriella M. Harari, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
PRESENCE: Virtual and Augmented Reality, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Presence and Pronouns: An Exploratory Investigation into the Language of Social VR
Cyan DeVeaux, Dave M. Markowitz, , Mark Roman Miller, Jeffrey T. Hancock, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Journal of Language and Social Psychology, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Lessons for/in Virtual Classrooms: Designing a Model for Classrooms inside Virtual Reality
and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Communication Education, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
The Influence of Spatial Dimensions of Virtual Environments on Individuals and Group Dynamics During Social Interactions
, Cyan DeVeaux, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, Gabriella M. Harari, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Seeing the world through digital prisms: Psychological implications of passthrough video usage in mixed reality
Jeremy N. Bailenson, Brian Beams, James Brown, Cyan DeVeaux, , Anna C.M Queiroz, Rabindra Ratan, Monique Santoso, Tara Srirangarajan, Yujie Tao, and Portia Wang
Technology, Mind, & Behavior, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Understanding virtual design behaviors: A large-scale analysis of the design process in Virtual Reality
Portia Wang, Mark Roman Miller, , and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Design Studies, 2024
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nutshell description
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.
Exploring the Relationship Between Attribute Discrepancy and Avatar Embodiment in Immersive Social Virtual Reality
Cyan DeVeaux, , James A. Landay, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2023
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nutshell description
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.
People, Places, and Time: A Large-scale, Longitudinal Study of Transformed Avatars and Environmental Context in Group Interaction in the Metaverse
, Mark Roman Miller, Cyan Deveaux, Hanseul Jun, Kristine L. Nowak, Jeffrey T. Hancock, Nilam Ram, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 2023
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news coverage
news coverage 2
nutshell description
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.
Prerequisites for Learning in Networked Immersive Virtual Reality
, Kristine L. Nowak, and Jeremy N. Bailenson
Technology, Mind, & Behavior, 2022
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nutshell description
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.
Talks
2025
Guest Lecture for “XR History, Theory, Impact” (Northeastern University)
2024
Lab Tour for Vinnova (Swedish Innovation Agency)
Guest Lecture for “Virtual People” (Stanford University)
Talk for the Institute for Public Relations
Guest Lecture for “Technology and Wellbeing” (Stanford University)
Talk and Demo for UC Berkeley/Belmont Village Retirees (UC Berkeley)
Talk at Metaverse and Education Conference (Lycée Français de New York)
Lab Tour for Professor Sandra Ponzanesi (Utrecht University)
Talk at University of Southern California (Institute of Creative Technologies)
Lab Tour for Professor Tamara Makana Chock (Syracuse University)
Mobile lab demo for California Academy of Sciences
2023
Lab Tour for Professor Misha Sra (UC Santa Barbara)
Guest Lecture at University of Florida (Digital Worlds Institute)
Mobile lab demo for eWear
Panel Guest at AWE USA Conference
Panel Guest at Stanford XR Conference
Lab Tour for Dr. Hubert Etienne (Meta)
2022
Talk at Quantum Photonics (ClubHouse)
Panel Guest at SALTISE Conference
Panel Guest at CODEX FutureLaw Conference
Guest Lecture at Université Laval
Panel Guest at Bodyswaps: The Educators vs. Virtual Reality