Seeing Possibilities for Action: Orienting and Exploratory Behaviors in VR

• In Event: HIGH-DENSITY: Exploring Information Systems: Models and Theories

Abstract

This study aims to apply the concept of affordances (J. J. Gibson, 1979) to the context of immersive virtual reality (VR). As a first step, this study investigates users’ orienting and exploratory behaviors while they navigate a virtual house indexed by their gaze on virtual objects, viewing time, and time spent in different rooms in the environment. A content analysis of participants’ (N = 22) video recordings of VR exploration was conducted based on second-by-second time frame. Results indicate that participants tend to orient to the virtual objects when they display novel or unusual information. Also, users’ exploratory behaviors were focused on the virtual objects that are related to available actions of the given virtual environment.

Authors

• Joomi Lee, Michigan State U

• Allison Eden, Michigan State U

• David Beyea, Michigan State U

• David R. Ewoldsen, Michigan State U - Department of Media & Information

• Sanguk Lee, Michigan State U - Department of Communication