A Review of the Use of Virtual Reality Studies in Social Psychology

Experience in virtual environments is becoming widespread in both daily life and scientific studies. With the advancement of virtual reality technology, new research questions can be posed. Thus, different experiences of the body, relationships with avatars, and the use of mobile and interactive media are increasingly preferred as research topics and research methods. In addition, the relationships that people establish in virtual environments have become a new type of interaction in social psychology that needs to be investigated. The aim of this review is to examine how virtual reality is handled both as a study tool and as a field of study in social psychology. First, technical terms and the necessary software and hardware are introduced, and the concepts of presence and immersion, which are important in the virtual reality literature, are explained. Subsequently, examples of studies conducted with virtual reality in areas such as the self, morality, identity, terror management, and social impact in the field of social psychology are presented. Technical limitations, such as the uncanny valley, virtual reality sickness, ethical issues, and experimental design issues that may arise in virtual reality studies, are discussed. Finally, the contributions of virtual reality to the field and what it can do are emphasized.