{"title":"Proteus effect or bodily affordance? The influence of virtual high-heels on gait behavior","authors":"","doi":"10.1007/s10055-024-00966-5","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<h3>Abstract</h3> <p>Shoes are an important part of the fashion industry, stereotypically affect our self-awareness as well as external perception, and can even biomechanically modify our gait pattern. Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) enables users not only to explore virtual environments, but also to control an avatar as a proxy for themselves. These avatars can wear any kind of shoe which might similarly affect self-awareness due to the Proteus Effect and even cause a bodily affordance to change the gait pattern. Bodily affordance describes a behavioral change in accordance with the expected constraints of the avatar a user is embodied with. In this article, we present the results of three user studies investigating potential changes in the gait pattern evoked by wearing virtual high-heels. Two user studies targeted female participants and one user study focused male participants. The participants wore either virtual sneakers or virtual high-heels while constantly wearing sneakers or socks in reality. To measure the gait pattern, the participants walked on a treadmill that also was added to the virtual environment. We measured significant differences in stride length and in the flexion of the hips and knees at heel strike and partly at toe off. Also, participants reported to walk more comfortably in the virtual sneakers in contrast to the virtual high-heels. This indicates a strong acceptance of the virtual shoes as their real shoes and hence suggests the existence of a bodily affordance. While sparking a discussion about the boundaries as well as aspects of the Proteus Effect and providing another insight into the effects of embodiment in VR, our results might also be important for researchers and developers. </p>","PeriodicalId":23727,"journal":{"name":"Virtual Reality","volume":"51 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.4000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Virtual Reality","FirstCategoryId":"94","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s10055-024-00966-5","RegionNum":3,"RegionCategory":"计算机科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q1","JCRName":"COMPUTER SCIENCE, INTERDISCIPLINARY APPLICATIONS","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Shoes are an important part of the fashion industry, stereotypically affect our self-awareness as well as external perception, and can even biomechanically modify our gait pattern. Immersive Virtual Reality (VR) enables users not only to explore virtual environments, but also to control an avatar as a proxy for themselves. These avatars can wear any kind of shoe which might similarly affect self-awareness due to the Proteus Effect and even cause a bodily affordance to change the gait pattern. Bodily affordance describes a behavioral change in accordance with the expected constraints of the avatar a user is embodied with. In this article, we present the results of three user studies investigating potential changes in the gait pattern evoked by wearing virtual high-heels. Two user studies targeted female participants and one user study focused male participants. The participants wore either virtual sneakers or virtual high-heels while constantly wearing sneakers or socks in reality. To measure the gait pattern, the participants walked on a treadmill that also was added to the virtual environment. We measured significant differences in stride length and in the flexion of the hips and knees at heel strike and partly at toe off. Also, participants reported to walk more comfortably in the virtual sneakers in contrast to the virtual high-heels. This indicates a strong acceptance of the virtual shoes as their real shoes and hence suggests the existence of a bodily affordance. While sparking a discussion about the boundaries as well as aspects of the Proteus Effect and providing another insight into the effects of embodiment in VR, our results might also be important for researchers and developers.
期刊介绍：
The journal, established in 1995, publishes original research in Virtual Reality, Augmented and Mixed Reality that shapes and informs the community. The multidisciplinary nature of the field means that submissions are welcomed on a wide range of topics including, but not limited to:
Original research studies of Virtual Reality, Augmented Reality, Mixed Reality and real-time visualization applications
Development and evaluation of systems, tools, techniques and software that advance the field, including:
Display technologies, including Head Mounted Displays, simulators and immersive displays
Haptic technologies, including novel devices, interaction and rendering
Interaction management, including gesture control, eye gaze, biosensors and wearables
Tracking technologies
VR/AR/MR in medicine, including training, surgical simulation, rehabilitation, and tissue/organ modelling.
Impactful and original applications and studies of VR/AR/MR’s utility in areas such as manufacturing, business, telecommunications, arts, education, design, entertainment and defence
Research demonstrating new techniques and approaches to designing, building and evaluating virtual and augmented reality systems
Original research studies assessing the social, ethical, data or legal aspects of VR/AR/MR.
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