Applying the Barker School concept of 'behaviour settings' to virtual contexts

Area of Science:

• Environmental Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Virtual Reality Studies

Background:

• Increasing human interaction with virtual objects and environments.
• Need for theoretical frameworks to understand user experiences in digital spaces.
• Limitations of existing theories in capturing the nuances of virtual interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To adapt Roger Barker's 'behaviour setting' concept for virtual environments.
• To define 'virtual behaviour settings' and their characteristics.
• To introduce tools for analyzing and predicting outcomes in virtual experiences.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual adaptation of Barker's behaviour setting theory.
• Definition of 'virtual behaviour settings' incorporating synomorphic and circumjacent digital milieus.
• Development and demonstration of the behaviour setting canvas (BSC) and a supporting model.

Main Results:

• The behaviour setting concept, with minor modifications, effectively applies to virtual environments.
• Subjective experiences like presence and immersion are key to understanding virtual behaviour settings.
• The BSC and model provide practical tools for analyzing virtual experiences.

Conclusions:

• The behaviour setting concept is valuable for designing and understanding virtual environments.
• Virtual environments offer new methodological possibilities for studying behaviour settings.
• This approach enhances the analysis of embodied behavior within digital contexts.