The Effects of Ingroup Bias on Public Speaking Anxiety in Virtual Reality

Lotte E. J. Biesmans, Pleun J. M. van Hees, Lisa E. Rombout, Maryam Alimardani, Eriko Fukuda

2020

Abstract

Virtual agents can be powerful elements in virtual reality (VR) applications, as their influence on user experience is governed by complex social mechanisms. Public speaking offers a relatively high-stakes situation that involves interaction with virtual agents. We examined the effects of an ingroup versus outgroup virtual audience on public speaking anxiety (PSA). Additionally, we looked at how emotional intelligence and VR ecological validity modified these effects. Results indicated that the VR application succeeded in evoking ingroup bias, and that in the ingroup condition, self-reported PSA was related to general PSA. Emotional intelligence was also a significant moderator. Additionally, audience type influenced the level of presence experienced by the user: ingroup audiences result in a higher level of presence. This study identifies potential areas of interest for future research, approaches that could influence users in specific and measurable ways in applications involving virtual social interaction, as well as the personalization of these virtual experiences.

Paper Citation

in Harvard Style

Biesmans L., van Hees P., Rombout L., Alimardani M. and Fukuda E. (2020). The Effects of Ingroup Bias on Public Speaking Anxiety in Virtual Reality. In Proceedings of the 15th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2020) - Volume 2: HUCAPP; ISBN 978-989-758-402-2, SciTePress, pages 17-24. DOI: 10.5220/0008951600170024

in Bibtex Style

@conference{hucapp20,
author={Lotte E. J. Biesmans and Pleun J. M. van Hees and Lisa E. Rombout and Maryam Alimardani and Eriko Fukuda},
title={The Effects of Ingroup Bias on Public Speaking Anxiety in Virtual Reality},
booktitle={Proceedings of the 15th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2020) - Volume 2: HUCAPP},
year={2020},
pages={17-24},
publisher={SciTePress},
organization={INSTICC},
doi={10.5220/0008951600170024},
isbn={978-989-758-402-2},
}

in EndNote Style

TY - CONF

JO - Proceedings of the 15th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications (VISIGRAPP 2020) - Volume 2: HUCAPP
TI - The Effects of Ingroup Bias on Public Speaking Anxiety in Virtual Reality
SN - 978-989-758-402-2
AU - Biesmans L.
AU - van Hees P.
AU - Rombout L.
AU - Alimardani M.
AU - Fukuda E.
PY - 2020
SP - 17
EP - 24
DO - 10.5220/0008951600170024
PB - SciTePress