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Societies
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Societal Implications of Virtual Reality: Maximizing Human Potential
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Societal Implications of Virtual Reality: Maximizing Human Potential

A special issue of Societies (ISSN 2075-4698).

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 January 2023) | Viewed by 10324

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Krzysztof Rechowicz

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Virginia Modeling, Analysis, and Simulation Center, Old Dominion University, Suffolk, VA 23435, USA
Interests: inclusion; accessibility; virtual reality; mixed reality; internet-of-things; human-computer interfaces

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Virtual reality (VR) can be a catalyst contributing to the transformation of how we live. Although the technology has been around for over five decades, only recently has it started delivering on its promise. With recent disruptions in social interactions due to the global pandemic, VR can give us the ability to share real-time experiences with friends, family, or strangers without leaving the house. However, as with every transitional technological advancement, such as radio, TV, or the Internet, a discussion of whether its positive effects on society outweigh the negatives is necessary. 

From one point of view, VR can be seen as an interface and come with all the consequences of being an area of social friction. It can promote or hinder access, inclusion, and human abilities. On the other hand, VR can be a driver of social change. Its ability to put us "there", whether it is an island nation sinking due to climate change or an experience of a refugee fleeing persecution, can transform worldviews and enable empathy.

This Special Issue of Societies examines the societal implications of VR. We welcome interdisciplinary scholarship investigating the impact on inclusion, access, social interactions, and empathy building, as well as policies addressing the mass use of this technology. We must seek approaches to measure the effect of VR on society and establish guidelines for VR technology, content designers, and developers, defined in collaboration between researchers and community members. We expect that the research outcomes presented in this Special Issue will appeal to scholars and the broad community of stakeholders, leading to a positive transformation of our society. Contributions submitted to this Special Issue have to follow one of the three categories of papers (article, conceptual paper, or review) for the journal and address the Special Issue's topic.

Dr. Krzysztof Rechowicz
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as conceptual papers are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a double-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Societies is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • virtual reality
  • inclusion
  • accessibility
  • empathy
  • social change
  • participatory research
  • equity

Published Papers (2 papers)

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Research

17 pages, 5396 KiB  
Article
Murder on the VR Express: Studying the Impact of Thought Experiments at a Distance in Virtual Reality
by Andrew Kissel, Krzysztof J. Rechowicz and John B. Shull
Societies 2023, 13(3), 69; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc13030069 - 14 Mar 2023
Viewed by 2576
Abstract
Hypothetical thought experiments allow researchers to gain insights into widespread moral intuitions and provide opportunities for individuals to explore their moral commitments. Previous thought experiment studies in virtual reality (VR) required participants to come to an on-site laboratory, which possibly restricted the study [...] Read more.
Hypothetical thought experiments allow researchers to gain insights into widespread moral intuitions and provide opportunities for individuals to explore their moral commitments. Previous thought experiment studies in virtual reality (VR) required participants to come to an on-site laboratory, which possibly restricted the study population, introduced an observer effect, and made internal reflection on the participants’ part more difficult. These shortcomings are particularly crucial today, as results from such studies are increasingly impacting the development of artificial intelligence systems, self-driving cars, and other technologies. This paper explores the viability of deploying thought experiments in commercially available in-home VR headsets. We conducted a study that presented the trolley problem, a life-and-death moral dilemma, through SideQuestVR, a third-party website and community that facilitates loading applications onto Oculus headsets. Thirty-three individuals were presented with one of two dilemmas: (1) a decision to save five lives at the cost of one life by pulling a switch and (2) a decision to save five lives at the cost of one life by pushing a person onto train tracks. The results were consistent with those of previous VR studies, suggesting that a “VR-at-a-distance” approach to thought experiments has a promising future while indicating lessons for future research. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Societal Implications of Virtual Reality: Maximizing Human Potential)
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7 pages, 247 KiB  
Article
Social Virtual Reality: Neurodivergence and Inclusivity in the Metaverse
by James Hutson
Societies 2022, 12(4), 102; https://doi.org/10.3390/soc12040102 - 07 Jul 2022
Cited by 26 | Viewed by 6613
Abstract
Whereas traditional teaching environments encourage lively and engaged interaction and reward extrovert qualities, introverts, and others with symptoms that make social engagement difficult, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are often disadvantaged. This population is often more engaged in quieter, low-key learning environments [...] Read more.
Whereas traditional teaching environments encourage lively and engaged interaction and reward extrovert qualities, introverts, and others with symptoms that make social engagement difficult, such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), are often disadvantaged. This population is often more engaged in quieter, low-key learning environments and often does not speak up and answer questions in traditional lecture-style classes. These individuals are often passed over in school and later in their careers for not speaking up and are assumed to not be as competent as their gregarious and outgoing colleagues. With the rise of the metaverse and democratization of virtual reality (VR) technology, post-secondary education is especially poised to capitalize on the immersive learning environments social VR provides and prepare students for the future of work, where virtual collaboration will be key. This study seeks to reconsider the role of VR and the metaverse for introverts and those with ASD. The metaverse has the potential to continue the social and workplace changes already accelerated by the pandemic and open new avenues for communication and collaboration for a more inclusive audience and tomorrow. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Societal Implications of Virtual Reality: Maximizing Human Potential)
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