How Does Virtual Reality Compare? The Effects of Avatar Appearance and Medium on Self-Disclosure

Abstract

Digital communication methods such as social media, texting, video conferencing account for a significant amount of social interaction traffic; however, in the coming decade, virtual reality (VR) is likely to appropriate much of this space from traditional 2D computer-mediated applications. The current series of studies first compared how different digital communication mediums (i.e., voice only, video chat, and VR) affect self-disclosure and then, looking specifically at VR, evaluated how avatar appearance affects self-disclosure. Overall, study one indicated that VR users are more likely to reveal highly personal facts, attitudes, opinions, and emotions than video chat or voice only communication users. Looking only at VR communication, study two demonstrated that individuals with a human avatar are more likely to reveal emotional experiences and highly personal facts, attitudes, and emotions about themselves and their experiences compared to individuals using a robot avatar.