Abstract
This study investigated how the sense of presence and the plausibility illusion of high-immersion virtual reality (VR) impacted students' public speaking anxiety when presenting in a foreign language. In the study, the students gave eight presentations in a VR classroom while using a high-immersion VR headset. The students' virtual audience resembled classmates who were programmed to show nonverbal behavior, such as gestures, mimicry, and body motion. Analysis of subsequent individual semi-structured interviews with the students showed that they experienced a sense of presence and plausibility illusion about the virtual audience and the virtual space. The participants also saw VR as an effective tool for practicing public speaking and reducing any attendant anxiety.
TopBackground
Virtual reality is a powerful tool because it can invoke a suspension of disbelief without necessarily displaying the virtual environment in a hyper-realistic way (de Gelder, Kätsyri, & de Borst, 2018). Slater, Pertaub, Barker, and Clark (2006) show that “people become present in virtual social situations despite the relatively poor representational and behavioral fidelity” (p. 628). The literature demonstrates that too perfect an illusion has a negative effect on the user (see section on virtual faces affinity below). Slater et al. (2006) maintain in their study on giving talks in VR that people responded according to type (i.e., phobics or confidents) despite the low representational quality of the virtual humans (i.e., virtual humans were pre-programmed and therefore did not react individually to the speakers’ behavior). In the present study, the focus was on sense of presence, the plausibility illusion, and the usefulness of the VR classroom for public speaking practice.
Key Terms in this Chapter
Emotional Presence: When users experience an emotional response (e.g., empathy, joy, or fun) triggered by VR.
Public Speaking Anxiety: Fear of speaking in public. Physical symptoms include elevated heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, users can experience higher perspiration, a greater need for oxygen, and muscle stiffness.
Sense of Embodiment: Sensation of being physically inside VR.
Virtual Agent: A computer-generated virtual character capable of interacting and communicating with users employing elements of artificial intelligence. The virtual agent has an anthropomorphic look of varying levels of realism.
Flow: Mental state of users who are completely involved in the process of an activity.
Level of Immersion: State of immersion that depends on the physical properties of the employed system.
Cybersickness: A feeling of sickness that may be experienced in VR.
Head-Mounted Display (HMD): VR hardware worn on the head to experience VR content.