Children, Perceptions of Reality, and Telepresence Matthew Lombard

Real vs. Unreal – Not So Simple Types of reality distinctions: Mediated vs. nonmediated (by technology) Actual vs. not actual (nonfiction [news] vs. fiction [entertainment]) Live vs. recorded Plausible vs. implausible (if not actual, could it be?) Example: ‘Reality TV’

Understanding TV and Reality Step 1. “There are people in the box” (Ronald McDonald, popcorn examples of Flavell & Flavell) Step 2. TV people/objects are different, but nature unknown Step 3. TV is representation but always accurate (“What’s an actor?”) Step 4. Not everything on TV is socially realistic

Understanding TV and Reality Children have to learn to use form cues and content cues to determine ‘realism’: Actual – live news Actual - recorded news bad sound anchors at desk sloppy speaking narrator/voice-over no background music special graphics no special effects b&w (documentaries)

Understanding TV and Reality Children have to learn to use form cues and content cues to determine ‘realism’: Not actual – drama Not actual - sitcom close-ups of faces laugh track mood-setting music good sound Not actual - cartoon adult voices animation fast pace sound effects

Understanding TV and Reality Children have to learn to use form cues and content cues to determine ‘realism’: Actual – live news Actual - recorded news crime, weather crime, politics, history, ‘breaking news’ health, science Not actual – drama Not actual – sitcom ?? ??

Understanding TV and Reality Seems likely that as media technologies evolve, children will find it harder and/or take longer to make reality distinctions: Screen size, picture quality, graphics realism, sound quality, surround sound, interactivity, augmented and virtual reality, robots…! Not limited to children – even when we know the truth, we want to the misperception: telepresence

Telepresence Topic of scholarly interest and research – causes, effects, implications

Telepresence Illusion that occurs in many contexts that have commercial potential Likely effects on people, organizations, societies

Defining Presence ISPR (2000): Presence (a shortened version of the term "telepresence") is a psychological state or subjective perception in which even though part or all of an individual's current experience is generated by and/or filtered through human-made technology, part or all of the individual's perception fails to accurately acknowledge the role of the technology in the experience.

Defining Presence Lombard & Ditton (1997): a perceptual illusion of nonmediation

Applications Executive meetings Sun Starfire

Applications Distance education (K-12) PEBBLES ThereNow / DVE

Applications Distance education (higher ed)

Applications Medical training Barrow Medical Institute

Applications Telemedicine including telepsychiatry

Applications Politics and government Teleportec

Applications Military Freedom Calls

Applications Emergency command and coordination InterSTAR Infra-Structures

Applications Legal

Applications Human Resources HireVue

Applications Telework / telecommuting HeadThere

Applications Customer service DVE

Applications Science and exploration

Applications Arts Dreamworks

Applications Telepresence Art Telematic Dreaming

Applications Adult

Applications Virtual bus tour

Applications Future: Home Accenture

Enhancements ‘3D’ Teleport TelepresenceTech

Enhancements Physical interaction / haptics

Enhancements Physical interaction / haptics

Expanded Telepresence Social vs. spatial telepresence Interactive vs. noninteractive Real vs. simulated people/places

Spatial Telepresence Teleoperation

Spatial Telepresence Virtual sports and games

Spatial Telepresence Training simulators

Spatial Telepresence Virtual therapy

Noninteractive Telepresence IMAX 3D

Noninterative Telepresence TV

Noninteractive Telepresence Virtual nature

Simulated People/Places Second Life Cisco

Simulated People/Places Military training

Simulated People/Places Virtual receptionist Carnegie Mellon U

Simulated People/Places Robots Riken Honda

Simulated People/Places Androids Hanson Robotics Osaka University

Future of Telepresence? Holodeck

Presence Research Community Interdisciplinary (computer sci to philosophy) International Growing (EU FETs 50+ mil euros) ISPR Presence journal, presence-l listserv 12th PRESENCE conference November in Los Angeles

Presence Research Community Research goals Identify and manipulate causes (media form/content, user characteristics) Identify and understand consequences (learning and task performance, productivity, enjoyment, involvement, persuasion, desensitization, arousal/relaxation, emotion, effectiveness of communication, “Work Live Learn Play”) Develop cohesive theory of cognitive, affective, and behavioral processes of telepresence

Presence Research Community Research goals

Big Picture Questions How to maximize usefulness of telepresence? What forms do people want and fear? Where will technology evolution take us? (utopia vs. dystopia) How to deal with ethical challenges?

Big Picture Questions