Alone but not isolated: social presence and cognitive load in learning with 360 virtual reality videos.

Introduction: This study aimed to identify any differences in social presence and cognitive load among three types of 360 virtual reality (VR)-based videos lectures. We hypothesized that social presence would be higher when interactions among peers are visible in a 360 VR video lectures while the cognitive load would be also increased. Methods: A total of 48 college students were randomly assigned to one of the three study groups to view an assigned 360 VR video lecture. The three groups were: (1) an instructor-only video viewing group, (2) a classroom lecture video viewing group, and (3) a classroom lecture and activity video viewing group. The video lectures were differently designed depending on the levels of peer visibility and the interactions between the instructor and peers. The participants watched one of the three types of assigned video lecture and subsequently completed two sets of questionnaires regarding social presence and cognitive load. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) was conducted with a planned contrast analysis for the type of video lectures. Results: We found that, contrary to the hypotheses, students in the group 1 (instructor-only video) showed higher social presence scores than students in the groups 2 and 3. However, no significant differences were found in the cognitive load scores. Discussion: The results show that 360 VR video lectures with an instructor-only are more effective at enhancing users' social presence than 360 VR video lectures with both the instructor and class-peers. We suggest creating 360 VR video lectures with the presence of the course instructor to offer learners the sense of actually participating in a lecture.

When "I" or "S/He" uses the product: the impact of narrative perspective on consumers' brand attitudes in storytelling ads.

Introduction: Storytelling ad is presented from one or more narrative perspectives. Narrative perspective, which can alter the way in which the plot is physiologically or psychologically perceived, can significantly affect consumer experience. Methods: This study conducts three experiments with 526 participants to analyze the influencing mechanism of narrative perspective (first- versus third-person) on consumers' brand attitudes in storytelling ads of products with different involvement (high versus low). Results: (a) Narrative perspective (first- versus third-person) exerts persuasive effects on consumer brand attitudes; (b) Processes of social presence and self-brand connection explain the effects of narrative perspective on brand attitudes; (c) When product involvement is high, the use of the first-person narrative perspective in storytelling ads will result in a more positive brand attitude than the use of third-person narrative will; With lower product involvement, there is no significant difference in the impact on brand attitudes regardless of narrative perspective (first-person versus third-person). Discussion: This research finds that different narrative perspectives significantly impact the persuasiveness of advertising. Boundary conditions exist for the effect of narrative persuasion, and product involvement moderates the effect of narrative perspective on brand attitudes.

Factors Influencing Willingness to Continue Using Online Sports Videos: Expansion Based on ECT and TPB Theoretical Models.

Digital sports, also known as online sports, are a new form of sport that users have tried in recent years. Despite the rapid growth of online sports, the factors influencing users' willingness to sustain their use are currently unknown. Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB) and expectation-confirmation theory (ECT), this study empirically investigates the factors influencing the persistent use of online sports videos. Questionnaires were administered to participants. A total of 305 participants completed the questionnaire. Structural equation modeling showed that all hypotheses' paths were significant, except for H11 and H12. The results indicated that perceived usefulness, expectation confirmation, and coach social presence had a significant positive effect on users' satisfaction in using online sports videos. Moreover, satisfaction, behavioral attitudes, subjective norms, and perceived behavioral control had a significant positive effect on users' willingness to consistently use online sports videos, with gender moderating the impact of satisfaction and behavioral attitudes on the willingness to consistently use. We discuss the practical implications and recommendations for applying this study's findings.

The Influence of Online Social and Physical Presence on User Consumption Decisions in TikTok Livestreaming: A Scoping Review.

This scoping review aimed to clarify and redefine the concepts of social and physical presence in the context of online livestreaming environments. Physical presence involves technical elements and nonhuman-to-human interaction, factors that inevitably influence social presence, which has human-to-human interactions at its core. Considering one type of presence to the exclusion of the other may not provide sufficiently informed decisions for user consumption. However, most previous studies have only studied either physical or social presence factors; few have systematically examined both to explain their influence. This review examined how the factors under these two presence influenced users' consumption decision-making process in TikTok live-stream retail purchases by synthesizing 60 studies conducted from 2019 to 2023 using Arksey and O'Malley's 5-step framework. Evidence of the specific attributes by which presence affects users' consumption decisions was elicited and reorganized. Using the preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses (PRISMA) framework for scoping review and guided by the joanna briggs institute (JBI) methodological guidelines, the results reveal that out of the 60 studies, 36 were influenced by social presence and 24 by physical presence. When livestreaming online, social presence tends to include the user and anchor perspectives, which prompts users to make consumption decisions. However, online physical presence includes products, technology, and scenes as its main dimensions, and users make consumption decisions through perceptual control. This review clarifies new media livestreaming communication and the key factors influencing users' consumption decision-making systems. It also suggests that integrating online social and physical presence in future research will yield a better understanding of livestreaming purchase decisions.

What are the roles of positive psychological construct in blended learning contexts? Integrating academic buoyancy into the Community of Inquiry framework.

Introduction: In the post-epidemic era, blended learning has become a social trend for the future of higher education, and scholars have endeavored to understand the factors that influence student learning in these blended communities. Communities of Inquiry is a conceptual framework that describes the components of blended learning environments, indicating teaching presence, social presence, and cognitive presence. However, the framework fails to adequately explore how individual learning motivational factors influence student learning. Therefore, this study extends the Community of Inquiry framework by drawing on a positive psychological construct-academic buoyancy to reveal the relationship between academic buoyancy and the three presences through empirical research. Methods: The theoretical model was validated by SPSS 26.0 and smartPLS4.0. To evaluate the measurement and structural models, structural equation modeling (SEM) was carried out using the partial least squares (PLS) method. Findings: (a) Teaching presence positively predicts academic buoyancy, and academic buoyancy positively predicts social presence and cognitive presence; (b) academic buoyancy mediates teaching presence and social presence, as well as teaching presence and cognitive presence; and (c) academic buoyancy acts as a chain mediator between teaching presence and cognitive presence through social presence. Discussion: The results of this study fill a gap in the multiple roles of individual positive psychological construct-academic buoyancy in blended learning communities, extend the Community of Inquiry theoretical framework, and provide empirical evidence for blended learning quality and practical improvement strategies.

A Comprehensive Overview of Micro-Influencer Marketing: Decoding the Current Landscape, Impacts, and Trends.

This research provides a comprehensive overview of micro-influence marketing, analyzing the characteristics of influencers and the mechanisms of their impact. A systematic review was conducted, encompassing 2091 citing articles and references across 74 studies involving 95 research institutions and over 12,000 samples. Employing an interdisciplinary approach that integrates insights from computer science, information science, communication, culture, psychology, sociology, education, business, and management, this study outlines the distinct features of micro-influencers. These features include performable authenticity, affinity expressed through consistency and transparency, musical and artistic media talent, and competitive individual traits. The research synthesizes antecedents of trust and attachment mechanisms commonly employed in influencer theory, taking an objective standpoint and minimizing emphasis on audience engagement and perception to trigger influence. The findings highlight that followers' pursuit of self-branding, driven by self-consciousness, social consciousness, credibility, and social presence, significantly influences the impact of self-expressive products on the audience's purchase intention. The research contributes to micro-influence marketing theory by integrating mechanics, offering practical implications for micro-influencers, and suggesting future research agendas.

Keeping social distance in a classroom while interacting via a telepresence robot: a pilot study.

Introduction: The use of various telecommunication tools has grown significantly. However, many of these tools (e.g., computer-based teleconferencing) are problematic in relaying non-verbal human communication. Telepresence robots (TPRs) are seen as telecommunication tools that can support non-verbal communication. Methods: In this paper, we examine the usability of TPRs, and communication distance related behavioral realism in communication situations between physically present persons and a TPR-mediated person. Twenty-four participants, who played out 36 communication situations with TPRs, were observed and interviewed. Results: The results indicate that TPR-mediated people, especially women, choose shorter than normal communication distances. The type of the robot did not influence the choice of communication distance. The participants perceived the use of TPRs positively as a feasible telecommunication method. Discussion: When introducing TPRs, situations with greater intrapersonal distances require more practice compared to scenarios where a physically present person communicates with a telepresent individual in the audience. In the latter situation, the robot-mediated person could be perceived as "behaviorally realistic" much faster than in vice versa communication situations.

Development of Therapeutic Alliance and Social Presence in a Digital Intervention for Pediatric Concussion: Qualitative Exploratory Study.

BACKGROUND: Despite the promising benefits of self-guided digital interventions for adolescents recovering from concussion, attrition rates for such interventions are high. Evidence suggests that adults can develop therapeutic alliance with self-guided digital interventions, which is in turn associated with intervention engagement. However, no research has examined whether adolescents develop therapeutic alliance with self-guided digital interventions and what factors are important to its development. Additionally, social presence-the extent to which digital encounters feel like they are occurring in person-may be another relevant factor to understanding the nature of the connection between adolescents and a self-guided digital intervention, though this has yet to be explored. OBJECTIVE: This qualitative study explored the extent to which adolescents recovering from concussion developed therapeutic alliance and social presence during their use of a self-guided digital mindfulness-based intervention. Additionally, this study aimed to determine factors important to adolescents' development of therapeutic alliance and social presence with the intervention. METHODS: Adolescents aged between 12 and 17.99 years who sustained a concussion were recruited from 2 sites: a pediatric emergency department up to 48 hours after a concussion and a tertiary care clinic over 1 month following a concussion to capture adolescents who had both acute and persisting symptoms after concussion. Participants (N=10) completed a 4-week mindfulness-based intervention delivered through a smartphone app. Within the app, participants listened to audio recordings of mindfulness guides (voice actors) narrating psychoeducation and mindfulness practices. At 4 weeks, participants completed questionnaires and a semistructured interview exploring their experience of therapeutic alliance and social presence with the mindfulness guides in the intervention. RESULTS: Themes identified within the qualitative results revealed that participants developed therapeutic alliance and social presence by "developing a genuine connection" with their mindfulness guides and "sensing real people." Particularly important to the development of therapeutic alliance and social presence were the mindfulness guides' "personal backgrounds and voices," such that participants felt more connected to the guides by knowing information about them and through the guides' calm tone of voice in audio recordings. Quantitative findings supported qualitative results; participants' average score for therapeutic alliance was far above the scale midpoint, while the mixed results for social presence measures aligned with qualitative findings that participants felt that the mindfulness guides seemed real but not quite as real as an in-person connection would. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggest that adolescents can develop therapeutic alliance and social presence when using digital interventions with no direct human contact. Adolescents' development of therapeutic alliance and social presence with self-guided digital interventions can be bolstered by increasing human-like qualities (eg, real voices) within interventions. Maximizing therapeutic alliance and social presence may be a promising way to reduce attrition in self-guided digital interventions while providing accessible treatment.

Being there and being with them: the effects of visibility affordance of online short fitness video on users' intention to cloud fitness.

Introduction: Cloud fitness is transforming indoor exercise for young people in China. Recent studies have explored the correlation between media use and health-promoting behavior by examining the motivation of individuals and the credibility of influencers. However, the role of media affordance has thus far been largely overlooked. Drawing on the theory of Stimulus-Organism-Response (SOR), the study investigated the indirect effect of visibility affordance on the intention to exercise with fitness influencers in the context of cloud fitness through psychological variables. Methods: This paper, based on the online survey data (N = 456), analyses the effect of visibility affordance on the intention to fitness following with influencers. A moderated parallel mediation model was constructed to examine the relationship among related variables. Results: The paper draws the following conclusions: (1) Visibility affordance is positively related to the intention to exercise with fitness influencers. (2) Both the sense of social presence and immersion positively mediate the relationship between visibility affordance and the intention to exercise with fitness influencers. (3) The perceived popularity of the influencer positively moderates the relationship between social presence and the intention to exercise with fitness influencers and moderates the mediating role of social presence. Discussion: Consequently, this study enhances the existing body of knowledge in exercise behavior and health communication literature, and provides practical implications for short video platform, influencers and individuals in promoting healthier behaviors.

Identifying Factor Associations Emerging from an Academic Metaverse Event for Scholars in a Postpandemic World: Social Presence and Technology Self-Efficacy in Gather.Town.

COVID-19 has prompted conferences to transition to online formats, inadvertently diminishing their emphasis on the social element. In online events, a sense of presence leading to a sense of companionship is limited in conventional conferencing platforms. Although the extant body of research on virtual conferences is growing, academic events in the Metaverse get little attention. Such events and their relevance to social presence within the Metaverse and associations among observable factors are seldom discussed. This study examined the perspectives of scholars in an online seminar during COVID-19 hosted in Gather.Town, a Metaverse-like conferencing environment. A hypothetical model was built to determine whether social presence and technology self-efficacy impact scholars' satisfaction and facilitate academic interactions. Ninety-three scholars in an academic seminar for research projects in information and computer education were polled to obtain data, which was then evaluated using partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM). The proposed model explained 57.1 percent of the variables, and the findings showed that social presence and technology self-efficacy had a positive and significant impact on academic interactions and exchanges, as well as technology self-efficacy playing an essential role in determining overall satisfaction. However, social presence does not appear to have a direct impact on satisfaction, implying that a positive academic experience may still be achieved with or without the feature of being with others supported by the Metaverse. Although digital communication will only become more diverse and intense, it is important to understand how to maintain the basic character of human interactions virtually, even amid a pandemic. This research attempts to shed light on some critical factors in creating a conducive environment for future Metaverse-like academic events.

Creating a 'Community of Inquiry': A Framework for Optimizing the Virtual Education Experience.

This article was migrated. The article was marked as recommended. Background: Medical educators must learn to implement technologic advances to create meaningful learning experiences, implementing media tools that are effective in meeting evolving academic needs and fostering interpersonal engagement. The increasing time constraints in a department of more than 1,600 faculty interspersed throughout a large metropolitan complex served as the catalyst for utilizing technology to create a framework for providing virtual faculty development. Objective: To use a Community of Inquiry (CoI) as a framework to guide the development of an interactive, virtual writing retreat. Methods: We used the three elements of CoI--social presence, cognitive presence, and teaching presence--to transform the curriculum and delivery method of an existing writing workshop into an interactive virtual experience. To enhance virtual teaching and learning, we created a positive climate allowing learners to project themselves into the community through discourse (social), leveraged technologies to enable construction of knowledge by individual learners (cognitive), and revamped the existing curriculum for optimal virtual learning outcomes (teaching). We evaluated its educational effectiveness via surveys based on the CoI framework. Results: The highly interactive, four-hour, virtual writing retreat was well received and serves as a model for implementing the CoI framework in other disciplines. Forty multidisciplinary faculty attended the retreat; 90% completed the entire session. In the post-session survey (50% response rate), participants rated the learning activities highly. Conclusion: Our conceptual model and practical recommendations are offered to other medical educators and faculty developers for designing a tailored CoI with effective virtual synchronous learning.

Propriedades psicométricas da escala de presença em tecnologias ubíquas / Psychometric properties of presence on ubiquitous technologies' scale / Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de presencia en tecnologías ubicuas

Este estudo teve como objetivo desenvolver uma escala de presença nas tecnologias ubíquas. O processo de desenvolvimento do instrumento teve como etapas 1) a escolha dos atributos comportamentais referentes ao objeto de estudo e à operacionalização do construto, 2) a apresentação a três juízes, dois grupos focais, 3) uma aplicação-piloto em uma amostra reduzida (n = 30) e, por fim, 4) uma aplicação com a 458 participantes. Foram realizadas análises de consistênciainterna, análise fatorial confirmatória e análise fatorial confirmatória multigrupo. A versão final da "Escala de Presença em Tecnologias Ubíquas (EPTU)" conta com 14 itens, agrupados em três fatores independentes (autopresença, presença espacial e presença social), e apresenta um bom índice de consistência interna (α = 0,905) e índices de ajuste aceitáveis (χ2 = 116,83; gl = 74; p < 0,01; CFI = 0,99; RMSEA= 0,035; SRMR = 0,053), com parâmetros psicométricos equivalentes por gênero

This study aimed to develop a scale of presence in ubiquitous technologies. The development process of the instrument had 4 stages: 1) the choice of behavioral attributes related to the object of study and the operation of the construct, 2) the presentation to three judges, two focus groups and a 3) pilot application in a reduced sample (n = 30) and 4) an application with 458 participants. In order to obtain validity and reliability evidences we performed internal consistency analyzes, confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factorial analysis. The final version of the Presence Scale in Ubiquitous Technologies has 14 items, grouped into three independent factors (Self-Presence, Spatial Presence and Social Presence), and has a good internal consistency index (alpha = 0.905) and an acceptable adjustment index (χ2 = 116.83, gl = 74, p <0.01, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.035, SRMR = 0.053), with equivalent psychometric parameters by gender

Este estudio tuvo como objetivo el desarrollo de una escala de presencia en las tecnologías ubicuas. El proceso de desarrollo del instrumento tuvo como etapas 1) la elección de los atributos comportamentales referentes al objeto de estudio y la operacionalización del constructo, 2) la presentación a tres jueces, dos grupos focales, 3) una aplicación piloto en una muestra reducida (n = 30), y por último, 4) una aplicación con 458 participantes. Se realizaron análisis de consistencia interna, análisis factorial confirmatorio y análisis factorial confirmatorio multigrupo. La versión final de la Escala de Presencia en Tecnologías Ubíquicas cuenta con 14 ítems, agrupados en tres factores independientes (Autopresencia, Presencia Espacial y Presencia Social), y presenta un buen índice de consistencia interna (alfa = 0,905) y un índice de ajuste aceptable (χ2 = 116,83; gl = 74; p < 0,01; CFI = 0,99; RMSEA = 0,035; SRMR = 0,053) con parámetros psicométricos equivalentes por género

Propiedades psicométricas de la escala de presencia social de las mentes en red y su aplicación en el Entorno Virtual de Enseñanza Aprendizaje UTAmed / Psychometric Properties Networked Minds Social Presence Measure and its Application in the Teaching Learning Virtual Environment UTAmed

Se estudian las propiedades psicométricas de la versión en español de la medida de presencia social de las mentes en red (Networked Minds Social Presence Measure) de Harms y Biocca (2004) en una muestra de 94 estudiantes universitarios de Arica, Chile, que hacen uso del entorno virtual de enseñanza aprendizaje EVEA UTAmed. Se realizaron estudios de fiabilidad y un análisis factorial exploratorio con el método de componentes principales y rotación varimax y posteriormente un análisis factorial confirmatorio. Los resultados muestran la existencia de cinco sub escalas con un total de 23 ítems que explican 81,25 % de la varianza, un alpha de Cronbach de 0.94 y un ajuste adecuado del modelo. Se confirma además una relación positiva de la presencia social con el aprendizaje percibido. El estudio permite disponer de un instrumento más breve y adaptado a la medición de la presencia social en entornos virtuales de enseñanza aprendizaje con resultados notoriamente superiores a la de los instrumentos existentes.

The present work studies the psychometric properties of the Spanish version of the measure of social presence in Harms and Biocca (2004) minds of network (Networked Minds Social Presence Measure) in a sample of 94 university students in Arica, Chile, who make use of virtual teaching and learning environment VLE UTAmed. Reliability and an exploratory factor analysis were conducted with principal components and varimax rotation, and subsequent confirmatory factor analysis. The results show the existence of five subscales with a total of 23 items that explain 81.25% of the variance, a Cronbach's alpha of 0.94, and an adequate adjustment of the model. Additionally, the study confirms a positive relationship between social presence and perceived learning. The study allows us to have a shorter instrument, and adapted to the measurement of social presence in virtual environments for teaching and learning with better results well compared to the existing instruments.

Presencia social en entornos virtuales de aprendizaje: Adaptación al español de la Networked Minds Social Presence Measure / Social presence in virtual learning environments: Spanish adaptation of the Networked Minds Social Presence Measure

El objetivo de este trabajo es, por una parte, la adaptación al español de la Medida de la presencia social de las mentes en red (Networked Minds Social Presence Measure) de Harms & Biocca (2004) de 36 ítems, y en particular a entornos virtuales del aprendizaje, y por otra, la obtención de una versión reducida de la misma. Para ello se analizó la fiabilidad de la escala, se llevaron a cabo análisis factoriales de carácter exploratorio y confirmatorio y se estudió, además, la relación entre la presencia social y el aprendizaje percibido, a través de dos muestras transversales de estudiantes universitarios (n = 270 y 315, respectivamente). Los resultados muestran una buena fiabilidad del instrumento, replican la estructura factorial de la escala original y confirman una relación positiva de la presencia social con el aprendizaje percibido. La escala adaptada arroja una reducción a 17 ítems. Esto permite disponer de un instrumento más breve y adaptado a la medición de la presencia social en entornos virtuales de aprendizaje.

The aim of this paper is, on the one hand, to perform the Spanish adaptation of the Networked Minds Social Presence Measure (Harms & Biocca, 2004) with 36 items, and specifically, to virtual learning environments, and on the other hand, to obtain a shortened version of it. In doing so, the scale reliability was analyzed, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyzes were performed, and also the relationship between social presence and perceived learning was studied, by means of two cross-sectional samples of university students (n = 270 and 315, respectively). Results show good instrument reliability, reproduce the original scale factor structure, and confirm a positive relationship of social presence with perceived learning. The adapted scale was reduced to 17 items. This allows us to have a shorter instrument which is adapted to the measure of social presence in virtual learning environments.