Using Immersive Technologies to Address Social Design Research Questions
Using Virtual Reality in Human Behavior Research
Journal Paper (2021 Frontiers in Virtual Reality)
Collaborators: Dr. Andrea Won, Dr. Mardelle Shepley
Challenge: VR is becoming increasingly accessible due to lower costs. However, researchers in some disciplines lack training and access to VR.
Research Questions: What are strategies for the design of immersive virtual environments to understand environments’ influence on behaviors?
Research Technique: Systematic review
Findings: Virtual environments appear well-suited to examine instinctive behaviors such as driving and pedestrian crossing given the feasibility of including critical environmental features such as sidewalks and roads.
Implications for Practice: Future research can consider how other sensory feedback and social nuances may be introduced into the environment.
Using Virtual Reality for Design Research
Journal Paper (2020 Journal of Interior Design)
Collaborator: Dr. Saleh Kalantari
Challenge: Practical research constraints limit our knowledge about how specific design factors can influence behavior. The influence of environmental designs on behaviors might be better understood if researchers could immerse study participants in complex physical and social environments that are ecologically valid, yet with highly controlled exposure to specific design variables
Research Question: What are the current challenges, effectiveness, and future research opportunities for using fully immersive virtual environments for design research?
Research Technique: Systematic review
Findings: Current challenges include lack of perceived realism and immersion, lack of sensory feedback, and time constraints.
Implications for Practice: Key considerations for the effective use of FIVEs include technological considerations, experimental design, measurement techniques, and evaluation methods. Key future research directions include enhancing the realism and immersiveness of FIVEs and promoting multiuser studies.