eWEAR: Human’s Virtual Best Friend: The benefits of augmented reality social support animals
Meeting Reports
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Aug 21, 2022
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to have pets around — certain vulnerable populations in hospitals, care centers and elsewhere, perhaps stand to benefit most from the kinds of comfort provided by animal companions but will never have access to them.
Now, though, researchers at Stanford have presented early evidence suggesting that virtual dogs could have similar effects. In a study published April 11th in the International Journal of Human Computer Studies, the investigators reported that participants preferred the support of a virtual dog to the support of a virtual human when performing a stressful task. Interviews of participants after the task indicated this was likely because the dogs were perceived as less judgmental and thus had a calming presence. The study suggests virtual support animals are valuable in circumstances where real animals can’t be present, and the researchers say it should motivate further work to determine just when and how such simulated encouragement can be beneficial.
“This is the first rigorous quantitative study of what happens when you beam an augmented reality virtual support animal into your physical space,” says Prof. Jeremy Bailenson, a senior author on the report and the founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab. “This is an important starting point for an area that warrants much more investigation.”
Unfortunately, not everyone is lucky enough to be able to have pets around — certain vulnerable populations in hospitals, care centers and elsewhere, perhaps stand to benefit most from the kinds of comfort provided by animal companions but will never have access to them.
Now, though, researchers at Stanford have presented early evidence suggesting that virtual dogs could have similar effects. In a study published April 11th in the International Journal of Human Computer Studies, the investigators reported that participants preferred the support of a virtual dog to the support of a virtual human when performing a stressful task. Interviews of participants after the task indicated this was likely because the dogs were perceived as less judgmental and thus had a calming presence. The study suggests virtual support animals are valuable in circumstances where real animals can’t be present, and the researchers say it should motivate further work to determine just when and how such simulated encouragement can be beneficial.
“This is the first rigorous quantitative study of what happens when you beam an augmented reality virtual support animal into your physical space,” says Prof. Jeremy Bailenson, a senior author on the report and the founding director of Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab. “This is an important starting point for an area that warrants much more investigation.”
