PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 6

 TENNESSEE WHISKEY COUNTRY CLUB

I came into this location because I saw that in was inhabited by about 20 residents and it had been some time since I was around other residents. The first two signs were worth noting. First, The Tennessee Whiskey Country Club sign is almost a rip off of Jack Daniels labelling. There is definitely a strong relation and maybe the users were not able to use the name. This makes me realise that the Shell store seen in my last post did not state "Shell" either, it was just an identical copy, which might be a way to dodge any accusations or illegal use of IP. Secondly, there was a sign stating "Happy Birthday" to a female avatar which was located in different parts of the place. This made me think that the reason for so many people being at this club was for a "personal" party. 

Interestingly, the branding "theft" continued, there was a beer coolie that looked exactly like the Corona branding, as well as beer that clearly said "Budweiser" which is an actual brand of beer. Also, the iconic red colour and white font of Coca Cola was seen too. This is a little bit ambiguous and only makes me want to research the rights that VR can have for certain things, as it could count as advertising. And advertising on a platform such as this could be very beneficial for big and small companies. I think that there should definitely be some research conducted on the effectiveness of

advertising (if this specific use is defined as that or not) in VR spaces, I do not believe it is redundant. It might be helpful to note that the brands that I have encountered so far have actually been iconic, well-known companies that are ubiquitous. So this "theft" may not even be questionable at all.

I decided to join this avatar's birthday party even though I wasn't invited. It was helpful that there was an object that was coded to make my character dance when touched, although I noticed that this coding was only strong when close to the object. If I strayed then the dancing seemed to lag (though that might have been because my laptop battery was dying), but I still think that there are methods used in SL to keep people engaged at particular locations; these types of programming are actually very clever and I think I undermined SL by not realising that there was so much thought and effort put into presenting an immersive community and world.

PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 5

TEMPTATIONS ADULT RESORT AND HANG OUT

I thought I would explore some more niche aspects of SL, so I chose this Adults Only place which took me to the above "menu" of locations within the resort to visit. I didn't really expect any choices at all laid out like this, nor did I think that the area would be like a suburb. It's clever to use the teleportation within areas and not just between areas because it adds to the dimension of the gaming and especially to the depth of a particular location. This kind of reminds me of having multiple options while writing/playing games that gives the user a bit more control over their engagement. This seemed like a place that was well developed and must have been around for a while. I decided to start mild so I chose the swingers manor.

Here is a picture of my avatar judging a woman for having her (almost) bare ass on a chess board. That was the only remotely sexual thing that I observed in this location even though I expected more. Though to be far I did not delve very deep into the nooks and crannies of the buildings (no pun intended). But it does go to show that these kinds of locations are not as scary as some may think.

A Shell!! Prices are very competitive compared to NZ fuel charges. But I was still very surprised to be a recognisable chain in the game, it was the first time I had come across a petrol station yet alone a well known international company. I found this interesting because I always assumed that the copyright or IP for imaging/visuals were always very strict, but because of the extensive way the resort is created I feel like they would have done their research or gotten permission before hand. That thought made me realise that certain locations in SL can hold more reliability or validity than others, much like in real life. 

The development of this location may be partially due to the donations received in SL currency (Linden dollar, named after the lab that developed the game) which can be invested back into the game. The figures are very impressive even though I do not have complete knowledge of SL economy. 

PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 4

FORUM EUROPE: NATIONAL HISTORY MUSEUM OF VIENNA

So I Googled the National History of Vienna and was upset to find out that they don't have a ginormous skeleton of a T-Rex outside their building. Nevertheless I still liked the depth that it gave to this scene because it was the first time I toggled my camera angle in order to view something from a different level, this increase of engagement is similar to that in film where levels of things in the screen actually draw the viewer to see the scene in a particular way. 

If you can see clearly, there is warp in the first room of the Museum. I have a feeling that this room was created off an actual 2 dimensional photo of the real room because of the specificities seen on the objects and that it looks very realistic when looked at straight-on from the entrance. Again, it was the first time experiencing this kind of thing happening, I don't think I even fathomed the idea that people could directly upload photos and make them habitual - I was still able to go up the stairs you can see in the screenshot, though it was definitely a flawed transition from this room to the next.

I'm not sure if the T-Rex from outside inspired this feeling, but this reminded me of the first time I tried the Oculus in class and there was that scene of the T-Rex running at you through the passageway of a Museum. If you look at the image hanging on the wall to the right, that is a photo of what the Museum looks like in real life, and gives you a good impression of the magnificent scale of it. Got me thinking about how people have valued artefacts throughout time and history, which goes to show that VR can stimulate alternative and extensive thought, maybe because the player is not marginalised or distracted by a strict gaming narrative.

PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 3

VUE: VIRTUAL UNIVERSITY OF EDINBURGH

I searched this location because I wanted to see if there were any similarities to real life Edinburgh or UoE in Scotland, as this is where I took a paper and lived for a while in 2016. In fact, I think a sense of nostalgia meant that I hoped that there would be at least a little bit similar, because unfortunately I was slightly disappointed to see that it was on a beach.. It takes a bout half an hour on the train to see water if living in Edinburgh, and the university campus (though I love), is most definitely not near any water. Nevertheless, I liked the sophisticated way the UoE emblem was stuck on everything, in the loveable pretentious way that old universities enjoy doing.

If you know Edinburgh, or most aged European cities, you know that a lot of architecture is still standing and gives an old school feel to the place. UoE is quite like that, especially Old College which looks like a typical huge medieval mansion from the outside. I guess VR UoE is mimicking its technology and being modern (and hip and cool). I quite like the architecture of these buildings because even for SL they look sophisticated and contemporary. I have seen architects in real life do such 3D work for projects, but this also got me wondering about how digital artists and architects may be able to merge even more in the future.

Last but definitely not least, the IS Cream truck was the best part of my explorations. This is just self explanatory. I liked the creativity because IS stands for Information Services, which is exactly what this feature is doing in SL (if you click on the different titles it takes you to the relevant information), just with a little bit of personality that is allowed in a space like VR!

PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 2

THE SHELTER

I chose to enter the Shelter because it was advertised as "newcomer friendly" which it immediately seemed to be judging by the greetings I got once I entered. People were also constantly posting instructions on how to dance (there seemed to be some sort of gathering going on) and helping each other out in a very positive sense. You can tell that people do have an obligatory and willing sense of community especially in places where it is defined -> because it was newcomer friendly, people were especially tolerant and even went out of their way to communicate. There was also instructional information on the posters on the wall about generic SL behaviour and profiling etc which would be great for someone who was actually going to invest a lot of their time and character into the game.

People dancing in a line together, though I did not work out how to join the rhythm exactly (I didn't ask on chat, but I am sure that if I had, some one would have helped me out!). People spent a lot of time on this repetitious dance set which I could not really fathom when I remember that there are people on the other end of the screen using their real-life time to participate. I guess it just attests to the commitment people may have in their relationship with VR and their characters who (at least in this particular context) seem to have a community that relies on everyone gathering.

The ring of spheres is a place where people can again dance together. When approaching them, a caption will appear on top of them which tells you that if you click the ball, then you will dance. I did this and I stayed there for a bit as I did not seem to be able to recreate the dance elsewhere. Some other avatar did the same thing next to me and took their place in the ring, where I realised that the whole point of the circle was again for communal purposes which encourage togetherness, much like when a group of friends create a dance circle at parties.

PHOTO BLOG - NATASHA - WEEK 1

*WARNING*

May need to turn up your brightness on computer because these images are quite dark (not just in mood, but in lighting)

LINGNAN DRAMA ISLAND

This sign, along with the darkness and empty car park (the only car there had leaves strewn over it and clearly wanted the impression of being abandoned) made me feel actual hesitation when exploring this location. This place is the SL equivalent of the Aokigahara forest in Japan, otherly known as the suicide forest were a recent Youtuber faced heavy backlash for filming and posting online. It was the first emotive reaction of this kind that I have sensed whilst in SL.

While exploring the car park, the player is encouraged to read upon the legend of the forest by clicking on the post. When I clicked there was a lot of information including the screenshot that I have posted above. The information only added to the eerie feel of the location, but it was also educational which I appreciated as it related to a real world place. I actually found this location by searching "Japan" because I was curious as I am visiting there next month. I also noted that some of the "information" provided was not just factual but also embraced the spooky nature and narratives that have formed because of the death that surrounds the forest (eg: that the ghosts of the dead wail at night). I think this is especially clever as it bridges fact with non fiction which is almost what SL and virtual reality aims to do.

A screenshot of inside the forest (once I actually mustered up the courage to enter) showing the density of it, relating to how the post described the inside and foliage, and why people so often get lost.

ARTICLE REVIEW - NATASHA - WEEK 6

Virtual Reality Exposure versus Cognitive Restructuring for Treatment of Public Speaking Anxiety: A Pilot Study

Helene S. Wallach, PhD, 1 Marilyn P. Safir, PhD, 1 and Margalit Bar-Zvi, MD2

Isr J Psychiatry Relat Sci - Vol. 48 - No. 2 (2011)

With reference to:

Use of virtual reality as therapeutic tool for behavioural exposure in the ambit of social anxiety disorder treatment

H Grillon, F Riquier, B Herbelin, and D Thalmann, 2006

AIM OF THE STUDY:

To determine the utility of Virtual Reality Exposure Therapy (VRE) in comparison with Cognitive Therapy (CT) and with Cognitive-Behavior Therapy (CBT). Usually phobias are treated with CBT, recently VRE has been employed to conduct the BT (exposure) component of CBT. The researchers wanted to find out the relative efficiency of each component individually as well as comparatively with the combined treatment.

METHODOLOGY:

20 subjects suffering from public speaking anxiety (PSA) were randomly allocated to VRE and CT, and received 12 therapy sessions, employing standardized treatment manuals. Outcome (questionnaires, observer and self-ratings of a behavioural task) was compared to results of subjects in a previous study CBT and Wait List Controls who were not significantly different on demographic data.

The virtual simulator included scenes in which the subject is required to read from text, which appears on a podium in the virtual world, in front of a large audience in various situations (audience clapping, asking questions, appearing hostile, etc.).

 The subjects provided the text, but the scenes were controlled by the therapist, according to the hierarchy which was developed for each subject prior to exposure

Upon completion of the VR experience, the researchers studied their materials buy using:

Liebowitz Social Anxiety Scale: includes 24 questions where the participant rates the amount of fear experiences and the amount of avoidance experience. This scale has a high reliability and validity.

Self-statements during public speaking which assesses fearful thoughts during public speaking judging on positive and negative self-statements. This also has high reliability and validity.

Fear of negative evaluation which consists of 30 close ended questions. These questions relate to cognitive aspects of the phobic experience (fear of criticism or negative evaluation)

Behavioural task: after the VRE treatment, participants gave a ten minute talk on a topic of their choice (standing, without notes) in front of a small live audience (4-5 people). Participants were rated on 10 anxiety indicators

Prior to rating the subjects, all observers underwent a brief training session in order to insure high inter-rater reliability. In addition, subjects rated their anxiety at various points (waiting outside the room, giving the lecture, etc.)

FINDINGS:

CT was not superior to VRE on cognitive measures, but was superior to VRE on one behavioural measure (LSAS fear). VRE was superior to CT on one behavioural measure (fear reduction on a behavioural task). No differences were found between either CT, or VRE, and CBT and all were superior to WL.

Limitations: Subject group was small and homogeneous. It appeared advisable to increase number of therapy sessions.

Conclusions: VRE and CT proved to be equally effective to CBT in reducing PSA relative to a control group, with minimal differential effects between them. Therefore, employing either one may be satisfactory and sufficient.

Even though each methods of treatment are effective, the use of VR is still beneficial in this field as VR can offer (anxiety) provoking scenarios which are difficult to access and are not easily available in real life. As an example, it would be extremely difficult for a therapist to fill his/her office with spiders in order to treat a patient. Equally, it would be extremely expensive and time consuming to repeatedly take a patient on an airplane in order to treat him/her against fear of flights. VR also allows repeating exposures without limitations. For example, a job interview is an accessible but exceptional situation. It would be difficult to have to do a job interview every week, as a habituation exercise (Grillon, 2006).

ARTICLE REVIEW - NATASHA - WEEK 5

Education About Hallucinations Using an Internet Virtual Reality System: A Qualitative Survey

Academic Psychiatry, 2006, Volume 30, Number 6, Page 534

Peter M. Yellowlees, James N. Cook

AIMS OF THE STUDY:

Evaluation of VR as an educational tool about psychotic hallucination. Mainly in regards to Schizophrenia where most patients experience auditory hallucinations, particularly hearing voices, and approximately one-quarter of patients experience visual hallucinations.

The researchers wants to see whether they could create a “ virtual psychotic environment” in order to increase its educational reach. They also wanted to see if personal computer graphics systems could reproduce hallucinations sufficiently well that users would feel they learned something from the experience.

METHODOLOGY:

This is a pilot project using Second Life, in which a virtual reality environment was constructed to simulate the auditory and visual hallucinations of two patients with schizophrenia. Eight hundred sixty-three self-referred users took a self-guided tour.

Created a virtual educational environment in the form of a hospital ward using Second Life.

Inserted the hallucinations as individual objects throughout the virtual ward so that they appeared automatically, triggered by an avatar’s presence as the avatar toured the environment.

The hallucinations included: • Multiple voices, occasionally overlapping, criticizing the user • A poster that would change its text to obscenities • A newspaper where the word “death” would stand out of a headline • A floor that would fall away, leaving the user walking on stepping stones above a bank of clouds • Books on bookshelves with titles related to fascism • A TV that would play a political speech, then criticize the user and encourage suicide • A gun which would appear under a cone of light and pulse, with associated voices telling the user to take the gun and commit suicide • A mirror in which a person’s reflection would appear to die, becoming gaunt with bleeding eyes.

A survey collection system was placed at the end of the ward. This allowed users to respond to questions immediately after their tour and while they were still inside the environment by simply clicking on the response of their choice. Their answers were automatically e-mailed to us and downloaded directly to a spreadsheet for analysis.

MAIN FINDINGS:

-  The population surveyed is a significantly biased convenience sample. Existing users of an online virtual world system are not a representative sample of the general population.

- There was no pre-test given, so we cannot prove that participants improved their knowledge. We relied on the participants’ own perceptions of educational value.

-  The environment focuses only on the hallucinations of patients with schizophrenia. Users might therefore give inappropriate weight to these symptoms of the disease, rather than having a more balanced view incorporating other symptoms, such as delusions, disordered speech and behaviour, and negative symptoms

BUT

Users of the environment felt it improved their understanding of the experience of hallucinations. Of the survey responders, 440 (76%) thought the environment improved their understanding of auditory hallucinations, 69% thought it improved their understanding of visual hallucinations, and 82% said they would recommend the environment to a friend.

Over a period of 2 months, the virtual psychosis environment was toured 836 times with 579 (69%) valid survey responses received. The demographics of the survey responders closely mirrored the demographics of the Second Life system at large. Most responders were men (N366, 63%), but this represented a more balanced gender distribution than other online communities.

No significant differences were found when replies were analyzed by gender, occupation, or income group.

Although the survey object in this first version had no formal mechanism for narrative comments or feedback from users, many spontaneously sent comments, showing that engagement was high enough for participants to make the effort.

This project has demonstrated that an Internet-based virtual reality system for personal computers can be used to create simulations of hallucinations and that it is possible to integrate evaluation tools into a virtual reality environment. Furthermore, users of the Internet based simulation felt that it improved their understanding of the experience of hallucinations. More comprehensive studies of this approach to online education are warranted.

I think that this was a very good demonstration on how SL and VR can be used to create an empathetic experience for people to begin to relate to those with psychotic symptoms, I think this is an important part of health education as it makes understanding patients easier because it can be personally relatable (though not identical). It could help to decrease stigma surrounding mental illness, but it is still debateable about whether gaming tools further ostracise patients because gaming makes someone feel like a “player” or “character” which has the connotation of the avatar being othered.