Kristine L Nowak
Biographic Data
| ID | 5136664 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Kristine L Nowak |
| GIVEN NAMES | Kristine L |
| FAMILY NAME | Nowak |
| SIGNATURE | NOWAK K L |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Connecticut |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-5296-6216 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 16 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 55 |
| WORKS AS AUTHOR | 16 |
| WORKS AS EDITOR | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2003 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2024 |
| H-INDEX | 4 |
How Different Training Types and Computer Anxiety Influence Performance and Experiences in Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) can place people in unique environments and facilitate engagement, making it a compelling tool for storytelling and learning. However, experiencing narratives requires immersion, which can be difficult for those who are anxious about technology. Prior research has shown that training new users on how to use VR before they engage in learning tasks housed in VR is critical. The right kind of training and targeted guidance may h…
People, places, and time
As the metaverse expands, understanding how people use virtual reality to learn and connect is increasingly important. We used the Transformed Social Interaction paradigm (Bailenson et al., 2004) to examine different avatar identities and environments over time. In Study 1 (n = 81), entitativity, presence, enjoyment, and realism increased over 8 weeks. Avatars that resembled participants increased synchrony, similarities in moment-to-moment nonve…
Unintended consequences of spatial presence on learning in virtual reality
Confronting whiteness through virtual humans
Virtual environments (VEs) provide novel ways for users to experience computer generated people and places, which can be used by researchers to examine and reduce racial bias. However, unless researchers consider the systemtic structures of racial inequities when designing their simulations, they may unintentionally create experiences that could prime or entrench racist beliefs or attitudes. A critical Whiteness framework guides this systematic r…
Effect of Virtual Reality Perspective-Taking on Related and Unrelated Contexts
Virtual reality perspective-taking (VRPT) experiences effectively increase both empathy and prosocial behaviors toward related social targets (e.g., cutting down a tree in virtual reality increases concern for the environment). This project tests the prediction that empathy is analogous to a muscle that increases with practice and can transfer to unrelated contexts instead of being a mental state that increases only for a specific context or targ…
Avatars and computer-mediated communication
Avatars are growing in popularity and present in many interfaces used for computer-mediated communication including social media, ecommerce, and educational applications. Communication researchers have been investigating avatars for over twenty years, and an examination of this literature reveals similarities but also notable discrepancies in conceptual definitions. The goal of this chapter is to provide a general overview of current debates, met…
Experiencing Nature
Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) produce simulations that mimic unmediated sensory experiences. 3 experiments (N = 228) tested how different modalities increase environmental involvement by allowing users to inhabit the body of animals in IVEs or watch the experience on video. Embodying sensory-rich experiences of animals in IVEs led to greater feeling of embodiment, perception of being present in the virtual world, and interconnection betwe…
Inferences About Avatars
This study integrated the computers as social actors (CASA) framework with objectification theory to predict that traits, such as sexism, influence perceptions of virtual representations as well as attributions of the source and message. Participants (N = 397) received a message about dating or job interviews presented by a virtual woman in either context-appropriate or context-inappropriate dress. Causal modeling techniques revealed that partici…
The choices people make
The Influence of Peer Reviews on Source Credibility and Purchase Intention
Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) is information shared on the Internet about a product, which allows people to receive information from others they may not otherwise encounter. Online product reviews are a type of eWOM where a user posts a comment about a product and selects an image to represent the self. The perception of the image and the text in the product review can influence source credibility and the perception of the product, as well as t…
Contextual Features of Violent Video Games, Mental Models, and Aggression
This experiment employed a 2 (third vs. first person) × 2 (blood on/off) × 2 (sex) design in order to examine the effects of two internal video game manipulations: the presence of blood and point of view on participants’ perceptions of the game. Overall, when the blood manipulation was on, participants perceived greater gore. Players were significantly more focused when they played in the third-person point of view than when they played in first …
The Influence of Synchrony and Sensory Modality on the Person Perception Process in Computer-Mediated Groups
This study examined the effects of synchrony and the number of cues on the person perception process in computer-mediated communication. One hundred and forty-two participants in groups of three or four engaged in collaboration over five weeks to develop oral reports, using alternate versions of communication systems or meeting face-to-face. Consistent with the hyperpersonal model, those using low cue media felt their partners were more credible,…
The Influence of Anthropomorphism and Agency on Social Judgment in Virtual Environments
This project examined how information provided in virtual worlds influences social judgment. It specifically tested the influence of anthropomorphism and agency on the level of uncertainty and social judgment, using a between-subjects experimental design. Anthropomorphism had three levels; a high anthropomorphic image, a low anthropomorphic image and no image. Agency had two levels; whether the participants were told they were interacting with a …
Information Systems Concepts across Two Decades
This study used information-processing theory as a framework for understanding trends in conceptual development of research presented to the International Communication Association's Information Systems Division. Concepts in titles of papers presented to the Division were analyzed for trends over a 21-year period. Cluster analysis was used to classify concepts on the basis of their linear trend, variability in trend, and annual frequency. Six clu…
The Influence of the Avatar on Online Perceptions of Anthropomorphism, Androgyny, Credibility, Homophily, and Attraction
It has become increasingly common for Web sites and computer media to provide computer generated visual images, called avatars, to represent users and bots during online interactions. In this study, participants (N = 255) evaluated a series of avatars in a static context in terms of their androgyny, anthropomorphism, credibility, homophily, attraction, and the likelihood they would choose them during an interaction. The responses to the images we…
The Effect of the Agency and Anthropomorphism on Users' Sense of Telepresence, Copresence, and Social Presence in Virtual Environments
We report on an experiment that examined the influence of anthropomorphism and perceived agency on presence, copresence, and social presence in a virtual environment. The experiment varied the level of anthropomorphism of the image of interactants: high anthropomorphism, low anthropomorphism, or no image. Perceived agency was manipulated by telling the participants that the image was either an avatar controlled by a human, or an agent controlled …
Experiencing Nature
Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) produce simulations that mimic unmediated sensory experiences. 3 experiments (N = 228) tested how different modalities increase environmental involvement by allowing users to inhabit the body of animals in IVEs or watch the experience on video. Embodying sensory-rich experiences of animals in IVEs led to greater feeling of embodiment, perception of being present in the virtual world, and interconnection betwe…
The Influence of the Avatar on Online Perceptions of Anthropomorphism, Androgyny, Credibility, Homophily, and Attraction
It has become increasingly common for Web sites and computer media to provide computer generated visual images, called avatars, to represent users and bots during online interactions. In this study, participants (N = 255) evaluated a series of avatars in a static context in terms of their androgyny, anthropomorphism, credibility, homophily, attraction, and the likelihood they would choose them during an interaction. The responses to the images we…
The Influence of Anthropomorphism and Agency on Social Judgment in Virtual Environments
This project examined how information provided in virtual worlds influences social judgment. It specifically tested the influence of anthropomorphism and agency on the level of uncertainty and social judgment, using a between-subjects experimental design. Anthropomorphism had three levels; a high anthropomorphic image, a low anthropomorphic image and no image. Agency had two levels; whether the participants were told they were interacting with a …
The Influence of Synchrony and Sensory Modality on the Person Perception Process in Computer-Mediated Groups
This study examined the effects of synchrony and the number of cues on the person perception process in computer-mediated communication. One hundred and forty-two participants in groups of three or four engaged in collaboration over five weeks to develop oral reports, using alternate versions of communication systems or meeting face-to-face. Consistent with the hyperpersonal model, those using low cue media felt their partners were more credible,…
People, places, and time
As the metaverse expands, understanding how people use virtual reality to learn and connect is increasingly important. We used the Transformed Social Interaction paradigm (Bailenson et al., 2004) to examine different avatar identities and environments over time. In Study 1 (n = 81), entitativity, presence, enjoyment, and realism increased over 8 weeks. Avatars that resembled participants increased synchrony, similarities in moment-to-moment nonve…
Inferences About Avatars
This study integrated the computers as social actors (CASA) framework with objectification theory to predict that traits, such as sexism, influence perceptions of virtual representations as well as attributions of the source and message. Participants (N = 397) received a message about dating or job interviews presented by a virtual woman in either context-appropriate or context-inappropriate dress. Causal modeling techniques revealed that partici…
The Effect of the Agency and Anthropomorphism on Users' Sense of Telepresence, Copresence, and Social Presence in Virtual Environments
We report on an experiment that examined the influence of anthropomorphism and perceived agency on presence, copresence, and social presence in a virtual environment. The experiment varied the level of anthropomorphism of the image of interactants: high anthropomorphism, low anthropomorphism, or no image. Perceived agency was manipulated by telling the participants that the image was either an avatar controlled by a human, or an agent controlled …
Information Systems Concepts across Two Decades
This study used information-processing theory as a framework for understanding trends in conceptual development of research presented to the International Communication Association's Information Systems Division. Concepts in titles of papers presented to the Division were analyzed for trends over a 21-year period. Cluster analysis was used to classify concepts on the basis of their linear trend, variability in trend, and annual frequency. Six clu…
The Influence of the Avatar on Online Perceptions of Anthropomorphism, Androgyny, Credibility, Homophily, and Attraction
It has become increasingly common for Web sites and computer media to provide computer generated visual images, called avatars, to represent users and bots during online interactions. In this study, participants (N = 255) evaluated a series of avatars in a static context in terms of their androgyny, anthropomorphism, credibility, homophily, attraction, and the likelihood they would choose them during an interaction. The responses to the images we…
Contextual Features of Violent Video Games, Mental Models, and Aggression
This experiment employed a 2 (third vs. first person) × 2 (blood on/off) × 2 (sex) design in order to examine the effects of two internal video game manipulations: the presence of blood and point of view on participants’ perceptions of the game. Overall, when the blood manipulation was on, participants perceived greater gore. Players were significantly more focused when they played in the third-person point of view than when they played in first …
The Influence of Synchrony and Sensory Modality on the Person Perception Process in Computer-Mediated Groups
This study examined the effects of synchrony and the number of cues on the person perception process in computer-mediated communication. One hundred and forty-two participants in groups of three or four engaged in collaboration over five weeks to develop oral reports, using alternate versions of communication systems or meeting face-to-face. Consistent with the hyperpersonal model, those using low cue media felt their partners were more credible,…
The Influence of Anthropomorphism and Agency on Social Judgment in Virtual Environments
This project examined how information provided in virtual worlds influences social judgment. It specifically tested the influence of anthropomorphism and agency on the level of uncertainty and social judgment, using a between-subjects experimental design. Anthropomorphism had three levels; a high anthropomorphic image, a low anthropomorphic image and no image. Agency had two levels; whether the participants were told they were interacting with a …
The choices people make
The Influence of Peer Reviews on Source Credibility and Purchase Intention
Electronic Word of Mouth (eWOM) is information shared on the Internet about a product, which allows people to receive information from others they may not otherwise encounter. Online product reviews are a type of eWOM where a user posts a comment about a product and selects an image to represent the self. The perception of the image and the text in the product review can influence source credibility and the perception of the product, as well as t…
Inferences About Avatars
This study integrated the computers as social actors (CASA) framework with objectification theory to predict that traits, such as sexism, influence perceptions of virtual representations as well as attributions of the source and message. Participants (N = 397) received a message about dating or job interviews presented by a virtual woman in either context-appropriate or context-inappropriate dress. Causal modeling techniques revealed that partici…
Experiencing Nature
Immersive virtual environments (IVEs) produce simulations that mimic unmediated sensory experiences. 3 experiments (N = 228) tested how different modalities increase environmental involvement by allowing users to inhabit the body of animals in IVEs or watch the experience on video. Embodying sensory-rich experiences of animals in IVEs led to greater feeling of embodiment, perception of being present in the virtual world, and interconnection betwe…
Avatars and computer-mediated communication
Avatars are growing in popularity and present in many interfaces used for computer-mediated communication including social media, ecommerce, and educational applications. Communication researchers have been investigating avatars for over twenty years, and an examination of this literature reveals similarities but also notable discrepancies in conceptual definitions. The goal of this chapter is to provide a general overview of current debates, met…
Effect of Virtual Reality Perspective-Taking on Related and Unrelated Contexts
Virtual reality perspective-taking (VRPT) experiences effectively increase both empathy and prosocial behaviors toward related social targets (e.g., cutting down a tree in virtual reality increases concern for the environment). This project tests the prediction that empathy is analogous to a muscle that increases with practice and can transfer to unrelated contexts instead of being a mental state that increases only for a specific context or targ…
Unintended consequences of spatial presence on learning in virtual reality
Confronting whiteness through virtual humans
Virtual environments (VEs) provide novel ways for users to experience computer generated people and places, which can be used by researchers to examine and reduce racial bias. However, unless researchers consider the systemtic structures of racial inequities when designing their simulations, they may unintentionally create experiences that could prime or entrench racist beliefs or attitudes. A critical Whiteness framework guides this systematic r…
People, places, and time
As the metaverse expands, understanding how people use virtual reality to learn and connect is increasingly important. We used the Transformed Social Interaction paradigm (Bailenson et al., 2004) to examine different avatar identities and environments over time. In Study 1 (n = 81), entitativity, presence, enjoyment, and realism increased over 8 weeks. Avatars that resembled participants increased synchrony, similarities in moment-to-moment nonve…
How Different Training Types and Computer Anxiety Influence Performance and Experiences in Virtual Reality
Virtual reality (VR) can place people in unique environments and facilitate engagement, making it a compelling tool for storytelling and learning. However, experiencing narratives requires immersion, which can be difficult for those who are anxious about technology. Prior research has shown that training new users on how to use VR before they engage in learning tasks housed in VR is critical. The right kind of training and targeted guidance may h…
Psychology (16 works) · Computer Science (15 works) · Social Psychology (12 works) · Human–computer interaction (10 works) · Perception (8 works) · Social Psychology (7 works) · Cognitive psychology (6 works) · Media Influence and Health (6 works) · Avatar (5 works) · Sociology (5 works)