Abstract:

Virtual Worlds (VWs) provide opportunities for experiential learning. The elicitation of presence, defined as the psychological immersion of users in VWs, facilitates role-play interaction and verbal competence. In fact the high level of presence and realism experienced by users while in VWs, contributes to successful outcomes in communication training (Mennecke et al., 2011). For instance the perception that the VW is real and the sensation of “being there”, can influence people’s sense of liberation and allow them to communicate with more confidence (Lee, 2013; Fox et al., 2009). The higher the level of presence experienced while in VWs, the better the verbal interactions as users feel less anxious and more in control (Park et al., 2011). A feeling of presence in VWs can also affect how people respond to virtual humans and the amount of words used while speaking with them (Robb et al., 2015; von der Putten et al., 2010). This in turn promotes self-efficacy through accomplishment (Lee, 2013) particularly, for people who have difficulties expressing themselves in the real world.

Understanding the implications of presence on verbal interactions associated with assertive communication such as speech, tone and volume, is an important matter that has received little empirical attention and it’s likely to have implications for the use of VWs for communication training. This study aimed to develop an understanding of how the perception of presence while participating in an assertive communication intervention effected the 21 participants’ verbal interactions while enacting role plays in a VW. An 18 item questionnaire to assess the participants’ perception of their speech, tone and volume was developed and administered pre & post VW intervention. A rubric to assess the participants’ speech, tone and volume while engaged in roleplays in the VW was also used. Furthermore, interviews with a random subset of participants to elicit information about the participants’ overall experience of assertiveness training in a VW were conducted. The results indicate participants perceived a sense of presence was related positively to their assertive communication while enacting the role-plays in the VW. This study contributes to the evidence of the significance of presence to support the learning experience.

Keywords:

Virtual worlds, communication training, assertive communication, verbal interactions.