Louder Than Words

Abstract

It seems that virtual reality (VR) is starting to make its way into the mainstream of pop culture now more than ever. Continuously working in efforts to create real life simulations as well as never before imagined possibilities; VR has created new and exciting ways to interact with our fellow humans as well as our Non-Player Characters or NPCs. “Actions speak louder than words'' ... a wise saying... perceptions are established within fractions of seconds when meeting, regardless of verbal communication. Social Psychology plays a large role when discussing body language and greeting gestures. Social psychology uses scientific methods, “to understand and explain how the thoughts, feelings, and behavior of individuals are influenced by the actual, imagined, or implied presence of human beings.” It is about understanding how social environments have an impact on a person’s individual behavior. Thus, greeting someone properly goes an immensely long way when trying to create relationships in unknown and new environments. These hand gestures may be subtle but they are key factors to the concept of social immersion creating a sense of believability and acceptance within virtual space. This thesis focuses on hand gestures and their impact within virtual space to increase immersion and establish social connections while performing human to NPC interactions. Looking at the comparisons between real life actions and actions that can be performed within virtual space, many greeting gestures have been overlooked or uninvestigated. This is where Louder Than Words steps in, to build a bridge between real life actions and virtual interactions, exploring uninvestigated greeting gestures within virtual reality towards making a culturally authentic experience when greeting an NPC.