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Abstract

Presence In Virtuality > Reality | Review & Commentary Meyers, M., & Sonnenfeld, A. Presentation

It has been demonstrated in previous literature that participants may feel more present in virtuality than in reality. Why is this? Our team of researchers propose that this phenomenon neither suggest invalidity in both objective and subjective presence measurement - nor invalidity of the construct itself. Presence, as the experience of being in an environment, is refined in our review from insight gained from three psychological schools of thought which have conflicted for over twenty years. Just as our definitions of presence evolved over the last two decades, however - so have we as a society. If individuals are capable of experiencing a heightened sense of present in virtuality than reality, then we must understand what the root cause of this contradiction is - and discuss the implications of such a phenomena for our own experiences in the real world. What does it mean to experience an environment – to feel present – and how do we measure this phenomenon? What could cause individuals, both in the present and future, to feel more present in a virtual world than a real one? To what extent have our virtual interactions taken precedence over our daily interactions? Does our embodied presence impact our lives more so than our physical presence? How can we – living in reality – design our experiences to match the involvement and immersion afforded by computer interfaces and virtual environments? The researchers attempt to answer these questions using the support of previous research in this domain – combining the perspectives of human factors and applied psychological research, human-computer interaction, business (via experiential design), and philosophy. The researchers identify what elements of virtuality make it more appealing to the experience of the individual than reality, propose design solutions for our experience in reality, and outline a foundation for future research. Without continued investigation with support of the scientific community, modern society may remain unguided – perpetuating toward a future in which it will be impossible to feel present in reality, when virtual alternatives are both just as easily accessible and significant.

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I'm not sure what paper means - I can supply that - but I'm trying to put down that I would like to present this in a fashion much like previous years, where we speak in a room and present on our paper.

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Presence In Virtuality > Reality | Review & Commentary

Presence In Virtuality > Reality | Review & Commentary Meyers, M., & Sonnenfeld, A. Presentation

It has been demonstrated in previous literature that participants may feel more present in virtuality than in reality. Why is this? Our team of researchers propose that this phenomenon neither suggest invalidity in both objective and subjective presence measurement - nor invalidity of the construct itself. Presence, as the experience of being in an environment, is refined in our review from insight gained from three psychological schools of thought which have conflicted for over twenty years. Just as our definitions of presence evolved over the last two decades, however - so have we as a society. If individuals are capable of experiencing a heightened sense of present in virtuality than reality, then we must understand what the root cause of this contradiction is - and discuss the implications of such a phenomena for our own experiences in the real world. What does it mean to experience an environment – to feel present – and how do we measure this phenomenon? What could cause individuals, both in the present and future, to feel more present in a virtual world than a real one? To what extent have our virtual interactions taken precedence over our daily interactions? Does our embodied presence impact our lives more so than our physical presence? How can we – living in reality – design our experiences to match the involvement and immersion afforded by computer interfaces and virtual environments? The researchers attempt to answer these questions using the support of previous research in this domain – combining the perspectives of human factors and applied psychological research, human-computer interaction, business (via experiential design), and philosophy. The researchers identify what elements of virtuality make it more appealing to the experience of the individual than reality, propose design solutions for our experience in reality, and outline a foundation for future research. Without continued investigation with support of the scientific community, modern society may remain unguided – perpetuating toward a future in which it will be impossible to feel present in reality, when virtual alternatives are both just as easily accessible and significant.

 

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