Embodiment in a Child-Like Talking Virtual Body Influences Object Size Perception, Self-Identification, and Subsequent Real Speaking

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2017 Aug 31

PMID 28851953

Citations 36

Authors

Ana Tajadura-Jimenez

Domna Banakou

Nadia Bianchi-Berthouze

Mel Slater

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

People's mental representations of their own body are malleable and continuously updated through sensory cues. Altering one's body-representation can lead to changes in object perception and implicit attitudes. Virtual reality has been used to embody adults in the body of a 4-year-old child or a scaled-down adult body. Child embodiment was found to cause an overestimation of object sizes, approximately double that during adult embodiment, and identification of the self with child-like attributes. Here we tested the contribution of auditory cues related to one's own voice to these visually-driven effects. In a 2 × 2 factorial design, visual and auditory feedback on one's own body were varied across conditions, which included embodiment in a child or scaled-down adult body, and real (undistorted) or child-like voice feedback. The results replicated, in an older population, previous findings regarding size estimations and implicit attitudes. Further, although auditory cues were not found to enhance these effects, we show that the strength of the embodiment illusion depends on the child-like voice feedback being congruent or incongruent with the age of the virtual body. Results also showed the positive emotional impact of the illusion of owning a child's body, opening up possibilities for health applications.

Citing Articles

Imperceptible body transformation in virtual reality: Saliency of self representation.

Senel G, Macia-Varela F, Gallego J, Jensen H, Hornbaek K, Slater M iScience. 2023; 26(10):107938.

PMID: 37876610 PMC: 10590814. DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.107938.

Virtual embodiment in fibromyalgia.

Swidrak J, Arias A, de la Calle E, Collado Cruz A, Sanchez-Vives M Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):10719.

PMID: 37400503 PMC: 10318080. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-36861-3.

Virtual reality for the rehabilitation and prevention of intimate partner violence - From brain to behavior: A narrative review.

Johnston T, Seinfeld S, Gonzalez-Liencres C, Barnes N, Slater M, Sanchez-Vives M Front Psychol. 2023; 13:788608.

PMID: 37342425 PMC: 10278571. DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2022.788608.

Effect of connection induced upper body movements on embodiment towards a limb controlled by another during virtual co-embodiment.

Hapuarachchi H, Hagiwara T, Ganesh G, Kitazaki M PLoS One. 2023; 18(1):e0278022.

PMID: 36602991 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0278022.

Embodying the avatar of an omnipotent agent modulates the perception of one's own abilities and enhances feelings of invulnerability.

Frisanco A, Schepisi M, Tieri G, Aglioti S Sci Rep. 2022; 12(1):21585.

PMID: 36517558 PMC: 9751071. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26016-1.

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