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Xinyan Wang1, Qiuhong Liu1, Xiang Li1

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Virtual interpersonal hugging effectively regulates sad emotions by providing a sense of connection, not just the physical action. The perspective of the virtual avatar significantly impacts this emotional regulation.

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Human-Computer Interaction
  • Virtual Reality

Background:

  • Sad emotions can be debilitating, impacting mental well-being.
  • Virtual reality offers novel avenues for therapeutic interventions.
  • Interpersonal touch and connection are crucial for emotional regulation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the efficacy of virtual interpersonal hugging in alleviating sad emotions.
  • To explore factors influencing the effectiveness of virtual hugging, including avatar characteristics and user perspective.
  • To differentiate the impact of the virtual hugging action versus the virtual target.

Main Methods:

  • Emotional self-assessment and skin conductance responses were used to measure subjective and objective indicators of emotion.
  • Participants underwent sad emotion induction followed by virtual interpersonal hugging.
  • Key variables assessed included hugging characteristics, target familiarity, avatar resemblance, and avatar perspective.

Main Results:

  • Virtual hugging, distinct from the mere action of hugging, significantly improved sad emotion regulation.
  • Visual information in virtual hugging was found to be more dominant than haptic information.
  • Familiarity with the virtual target and avatar facial resemblance did not influence emotion regulation outcomes.
  • A first-person perspective of the virtual avatar enhanced perceived ownership and emotion regulation.

Conclusions:

  • Virtual interpersonal hugging is a viable method for regulating sad emotions.
  • The virtual environment's design, particularly the avatar's perspective, plays a critical role in its therapeutic potential.
  • Future research should explore the nuances of virtual interaction for emotional well-being.