Bodiless Embodiment: A Descriptive Survey of Avatar Bodily Coherence in First-Wave Consumer VR Applications

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  • Dooley Joel Murphy
This preliminary study surveys whether/which avatar body parts are visible in first-wave consumer virtual reality (VR) applications for the HTC Vive (n = 200). A simple coding schema for assessing avatar bodily coherence (ABC) is piloted and evaluated. Results provide a snapshot of ABC in popular high-end VR applications in Q3 2016. It is reported (Table 1) that 86.5% of sampled items feature fully invisible avatars, 9% depict hands only, and 4.5% feature a head, torso, or legs, but still with some degree of bodily incoherence. Findings suggest that users may experience a sense of ownership and/or agency over their virtual actions even in the absence of visible avatar body parts. This informs research questions and hypotheses for future experimental enquiry into how bodily representation may interplay with user cognition, perceived virtual embodiment (body ownership illusion and sense of agency), and spatial telepresence.
Original languageEnglish
Publication date2017
Number of pages2
Publication statusPublished - 2017
EventIEEE Virtual Reality 2017 - Los Angeles, United States
Duration: 20 Mar 201722 Mar 2017

Conference

ConferenceIEEE Virtual Reality 2017
CountryUnited States
CityLos Angeles
Period20/03/201722/03/2017

ID: 173054016