Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality

Yuguang Zhao; Jaap Ham; Jurgen van der Vlist

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11

Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality

Yuguang Zhao, Jaap Ham, Jurgen van der Vlist

Human Technology Interaction

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

10 Citations (Scopus)

1 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

Virtual reality (VR) technology affords powerful influences on human behavior and thinking through symbiotic interaction between the VR environment and the human user. Earlier research indicated that in a real bookstore, a slight touch by the welcoming shop assistant on the shopper’s upper arm positively influenced consumer behavior. To investigate effects of artificial social touch in VR, participants were asked to shop in two virtual shops (in random order). The virtual shop assistant touched participants (shoppers) on the upper arm (through an actuator on participant’s arm) while greeting, or, in the other shop, identically greeted participants without touching them. Results showed that in the shop in which participants were touched by the virtual shop assistant, they spent more time, more money on purchasing and their overall shopping experience evaluation was more positive. Findings confirmed that the illusion of virtual social touch can be established in VR and contributed that VR employing artificial social touch can be effective in influencing consumer behavior.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers
Publisher	Springer
Pages	98-109
Number of pages	12
ISBN (Print)	9783319915920
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11
Publication status	Published - 1 Jan 2018
Event	6th International Workshop on Symbiotic Interaction, SYMBIOTIC 2017 - Eindhoven, Netherlands Duration: 18 Dec 2017 → 19 Dec 2017 Conference number: 6 https://symbiotic2017.org/

Publication series

Name	Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
Volume	10727 LNCS
ISSN (Print)	0302-9743
ISSN (Electronic)	1611-3349

Conference

Conference	6th International Workshop on Symbiotic Interaction, SYMBIOTIC 2017
Abbreviated title	Symbiotic 2017
Country/Territory	Netherlands
City	Eindhoven
Period	18/12/17 → 19/12/17
Internet address	https://symbiotic2017.org/

Keywords

Interpersonal touch
Persuasive technology
Persuasive VR
Shopping behavior
Virtual reality

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

Access to Document

10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11

Cite this

Zhao, Y., Ham, J., & van der Vlist, J. (2018). Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality. In Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers (pp. 98-109). (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 10727 LNCS). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11

Zhao, Yuguang ; Ham, Jaap ; van der Vlist, Jurgen. / Persuasive virtual touch : the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality. Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers. Springer, 2018. pp. 98-109 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)).

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abstract = "Virtual reality (VR) technology affords powerful influences on human behavior and thinking through symbiotic interaction between the VR environment and the human user. Earlier research indicated that in a real bookstore, a slight touch by the welcoming shop assistant on the shopper{\textquoteright}s upper arm positively influenced consumer behavior. To investigate effects of artificial social touch in VR, participants were asked to shop in two virtual shops (in random order). The virtual shop assistant touched participants (shoppers) on the upper arm (through an actuator on participant{\textquoteright}s arm) while greeting, or, in the other shop, identically greeted participants without touching them. Results showed that in the shop in which participants were touched by the virtual shop assistant, they spent more time, more money on purchasing and their overall shopping experience evaluation was more positive. Findings confirmed that the illusion of virtual social touch can be established in VR and contributed that VR employing artificial social touch can be effective in influencing consumer behavior.",

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Zhao, Y, Ham, J & van der Vlist, J 2018, Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality. in Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers. Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics), vol. 10727 LNCS, Springer, pp. 98-109, 6th International Workshop on Symbiotic Interaction, SYMBIOTIC 2017, Eindhoven, Netherlands, 18/12/17. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11

Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality. / Zhao, Yuguang; Ham, Jaap; van der Vlist, Jurgen.
Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers. Springer, 2018. p. 98-109 (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics); Vol. 10727 LNCS).

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution › Academic › peer-review

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AU - Ham, Jaap

AU - van der Vlist, Jurgen

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PY - 2018/1/1

Y1 - 2018/1/1

N2 - Virtual reality (VR) technology affords powerful influences on human behavior and thinking through symbiotic interaction between the VR environment and the human user. Earlier research indicated that in a real bookstore, a slight touch by the welcoming shop assistant on the shopper’s upper arm positively influenced consumer behavior. To investigate effects of artificial social touch in VR, participants were asked to shop in two virtual shops (in random order). The virtual shop assistant touched participants (shoppers) on the upper arm (through an actuator on participant’s arm) while greeting, or, in the other shop, identically greeted participants without touching them. Results showed that in the shop in which participants were touched by the virtual shop assistant, they spent more time, more money on purchasing and their overall shopping experience evaluation was more positive. Findings confirmed that the illusion of virtual social touch can be established in VR and contributed that VR employing artificial social touch can be effective in influencing consumer behavior.

AB - Virtual reality (VR) technology affords powerful influences on human behavior and thinking through symbiotic interaction between the VR environment and the human user. Earlier research indicated that in a real bookstore, a slight touch by the welcoming shop assistant on the shopper’s upper arm positively influenced consumer behavior. To investigate effects of artificial social touch in VR, participants were asked to shop in two virtual shops (in random order). The virtual shop assistant touched participants (shoppers) on the upper arm (through an actuator on participant’s arm) while greeting, or, in the other shop, identically greeted participants without touching them. Results showed that in the shop in which participants were touched by the virtual shop assistant, they spent more time, more money on purchasing and their overall shopping experience evaluation was more positive. Findings confirmed that the illusion of virtual social touch can be established in VR and contributed that VR employing artificial social touch can be effective in influencing consumer behavior.

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Zhao Y, Ham J, van der Vlist J. Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality. In Symbiotic Interaction - 6th International Workshop, Symbiotic 2017, Revised Selected Papers. Springer. 2018. p. 98-109. (Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)). doi: 10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_11

Persuasive virtual touch: the effect of artificial social touch on shopping behavior in virtual reality

Abstract

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Conference

Keywords

UN SDGs

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