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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Apr 8, 2026

Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures

Virtual Reality Experiments with Physiological Measures

Published on: August 29, 2018

How Harassment Shapes Self-Perception and Well-Being in Social VR: Evidence from a Controlled Lab Study.

Jonathan Tschanter, Christian Merz, Carolin Wienrich

IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics

|April 6, 2026

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Harassment in Social Virtual Reality (SVR) significantly impacts users' self-perception, altering their sense of embodiment and avatar preferences. This study reveals how negative virtual experiences reshape users' self-identification and social interactions.

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Last Updated: Apr 8, 2026

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Area of Science:

Human-Computer Interaction
Virtual Reality Studies
Social Psychology

Background:

Social Virtual Reality (SVR) enables embodied interactions and relationship building.
Embodiment in SVR can amplify both positive social connections and negative experiences like harassment.
Limited research exists on how SVR harassment affects user self-perception.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the effects of harassment in SVR on users' self-perception.
To examine changes in embodiment, self-identification, and avatar preferences post-harassment.
To explore user coping strategies and methodological approaches for studying SVR harassment.

Main Methods:

A controlled experiment with 52 participants exposed to either neutral or harassment conditions in an SVR scenario.
Assessment of user perceptions of virtual peers, well-being measures, and self-perception indicators.
Analysis of avatar customization preferences and self-reported coping mechanisms.

Main Results:

Harassing virtual peers were perceived more negatively than neutral peers.
Harassment increased feelings of bodily change and avatar identification, and interpersonal distance.
Avatar customization preferences shifted towards anonymity after harassment, unlike personalization in neutral conditions.

Conclusions:

Harassment in SVR exploits embodiment to reshape users' self-perception and avatar preferences.
User responses to harassment include coping strategies like avoidance and retaliation.
The study provides methodological insights for ethical SVR harassment research.