Collaborating with my Doppelgänger
Siqi Guo, Minsoo Choi, Dominic Kao, Christos Mousas
Abstract
The research community has long been interested in human interaction with embodied virtual characters in virtual reality (VR). At the same time, interaction with self-similar virtual characters, or virtual doppelgängers, has become a prominent topic in both VR and psychology due to the intriguing psychological effects these characters can have on people. However, studies on human interaction with self-similar virtual characters are still limited. To address this research gap, we designed and conducted a 2 (appearance: self-similar vs. non-self-similar appearance) × 2 (voice: self-similar vs. non-self-similar voice) within-group study (N = 25) to explore how combinations of appearance and voice factors influence participants' perception of virtual characters. During the study, we asked participants to collaborate with a virtual character in solving a VR jigsaw puzzle. After each experimental condition, we had participants complete a survey about their experiences with the virtual character. Our findings showed that 1) the virtual characters' self-similarity in appearance enhanced the sense of co-presence and perceived intelligence, but it also elicited higher eeriness; 2) the self-similar voices led to higher ratings on the characters' likability and believability; however, they also induced a more eerie sensation; and 3) we observed an interaction effect between appearance and voice factors for ratings on believability, where the virtual characters were considered more believable when their self-similarity in appearance matched that of their voices. This study provided valuable insights and comprehensive guidance for creating novel collaborative experiences with self-similar virtual characters in immersive environments.