This document discusses how an individual's personality traits can impact their experience of presence in virtual reality (VR). It notes that one size does not fit all when it comes to VR experiences, as traits like neuroticism, extraversion, openness, absorption, and immersive tendencies can influence a person's perception and sense of presence. The document highlights that increased presence in VR applications can assist with knowledge transfer to the real world, increase compliance with treatment, and reduce the need for high technical precision. Finally, it recommends assessing individuals' traits that predict presence as a way to estimate their likelihood of experiencing presence and ensure VR experiences remain user-centric.

1. VR and
Personality:
One Size
Doesn’t Fit All
DR. PAMELA RUTLEDGE
Director
Media Psychology Research Center
Rutledge LLC
pamelarutledge@gmail.com
DIGITAL HOLLYWOOD
May 2019

2. New Partnerships in Clinical VR
UX
PARTNERSHIP:
TECH &
CLINICIAN
UI: IMMERSIVE
ENVIRONMENT
FOR TREATMENT
VR EXPERIENCE OUTCOME

3. Immersion: Technology’s
Ability to Create a World

4. Presence:
Being There

5. New Consideration in Clinical VR
UX
PARTNERSHIP:
TECH &
CLINICIAN
UI: IMMERSIVE
ENVIRONMENT
FOR TREATMENT
PRESENCE OUTCOME

6. Presence is a product of
individual traits

7. TRAIT VS. STATE
Measuring
presence is
different from
measuring the
ability to
experience
presence

8. Traits Associated with Presence
NEUROTICISM
EXTRAVERSION
OPENNESS
ABSORPTION
IMMERSIVE
TENDENCIES
EMOTIONAL
INVOLVEMENT
PRESENCE

9. Benefits of Increased
Presence
• Assists knowledge transfer of learned behaviors
to real world
• Greater compliance with treatment
• Lowers need for technical precision, such as
resolution

10. Key Points
• Personality characteristics influence
perception and experience
• Traits are stable across time
• Absorption, immersive tendencies, and
emotional engagement impact the ability to
achieve presence
• Presence impacts success of VR projects
• Assessment is a noninvasive and cost-
effective way to estimate an individuals’
tendency for the traits that predict presence
• Attention to individual differences keeps VR
experience user-centric

11. Thank you
Dr. Pamela Rutledge
Rutledge LLC
Media Psychology
pamelarutledge@gmail.com
@pamelarutledge