Virtual reality as a tool for social researchers
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.18778/2300-1690.24.08Keywords:
virtual reality, VR, immersive virtual reality, social research, embodied agentAbstract
The article focuses on the growing role of Virtual Reality (VR) technology in the field of social sciences. Various aspects of the use of VR technology in experimental research are discussed, focusing on the control of research conditions, environmental realism, monitoring and recording of participants’ behavior. The study presents examples of research that used VR to analyze social behavior, such as social facilitation and inhibition, psychosis, or participants’ reactions to extreme situations, such as the Milgram experiment. The value of the high level of ecological validity of experimental research conducted in the virtual reality environment was emphasized. The paper draws attention to the potential of VR technology as a social researcher’s tool in various contexts, while highlighting the challenges related to the characteristics of VR technology and its limitations that should be taken into account when designing a study. The presented arguments emphasize the importance of continuing research on the use of VR in the social sciences.
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