Presence and Telepresence: Conceptualizations in the Literature

Presence-Ist 2000-31014 Ec Public Deliverable …, 2001

1998

CyberPsychology & Behavior, 1999

Synthetic environments (SE) feature computer-mediated interaction with an environment physically separate from the user. An SE allows human perceptual, cognitive, and psychomotor capabilities to be projected into distant, dangerous, or simulated environments. This paper examines some aspects of application of immersive/telepresence interfaces and discusses how the new technology fits into a user-centered design approach to teleoperators and virtual environments. The central theme of an immersive/telepresence design approach is that the world may be displayed to a user as if that person was physically present in a computer-mediated world. However, the ability of SE's to re-create a computer-mediated world by using immersive displays does not annul the responsibility of designers to tailor interfaces to meet the task-dependant needs of users. Whether functioning in reality or a virtual reality, interfaces must satisfy user information requirements to optimize performance. It does not necessarily follow that the combination of immersive interfaces, strict reproduction of the remote world, and telepresence gives users the most efficient human-machine interface. Other aspects of human behavior, such as concentration and attentional resource allocation or situation awareness, which are not necessarily encompassed by the concept of telepresence, need to be considered in the interface design.

The authors reflect about the concept of presence and its relevance in the practice of telepsychiatry considering the use of videoconferencing technology as a mean of providing mental health consultations across distances. This brief paper stresses the importance of examining the new context created by new communication technologies, and of understanding of the novel practitioner-patient relationships created, paying attention to secondary and peripheral contexts that could potentially be ignored because of telepresence.

2009

Abstract. This paper uses the metaphor of" being there" to differentiate two basic modes of mediated presence."'Being'there" refers to presence in a remote environment through sensory extension, and" being'there" refers to presence in a virtual environment through sensory simulation. In"'being'there," users believe that they are in contact with a real, albeit remote, environment, and their sense of" being there" is affected by the perceptual fidelity they receive.

Interacting with Computers, 2012

What explains the experience of “being there” in a simulated or mediated environment? In recent years, research has pointed to various technological and psychological factors deemed important in eliciting this so-called experience of telepresence, including interactivity, sensory-motor integration, media transparency, and distal attribution. However, few theories exist that can combine these findings in a coherent framework. In the present paper, we formulate such a theoretical framework. We will argue that the experience of ...

Communication Theory, 2004

2009

Abstract The International Society of Presence Research, defines “presence”(a shortened version of the term “telepresence”) as a “psychological state in which even though part or all of an individual's current experience is generated by and/or filtered through human-made technology, part or all of the individual's perception fails to accurately acknowledge the role of the technology in the experience”(ISPR 2000, The concept of presence: explication statement. http://ispr. info/Accessed 15 Jan 2009).

Emerging Communication, 2003

Presence, the experience of 'being there' in a mediated environment, has become closely associated with VR and other advanced media. Different types of presence are discussed, including physical presence, social presence, and co-presence. Fidelity-based approaches to presence research emphasize the fact that as media become increasingly interactive, perceptually realistic, and immersive, the experience of presence becomes more convincing. In addition, the ecological-cultural approach is described, pointing out the importance of the possibility of action in mediated environments, as well as the role that a common cultural framework plays in engendering a sense of presence. In particular for multi-user or collaborative virtual environments (CVEs), processes of negotiation and community creation need to be supported by the CVE design to enable communication and the creation of a social context within the CVE.

Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments, 2003

The author has lived in San Francisco while working as a full time virtual faculty member for Michigan State University for nearly six years. Unlike most humans, she spends a larger proportion of every day as a virtual person than as a physical person. This article is adapted from a keynote speech delivered at the Fourth International Workshop on Presence in Philadelphia, May, 2001. Personal narrative style is used to explore issues and to question some of the research community's prevailing assumptions about presence. Lombard and Ditton's (1997, Presence Explicated, para. 1) frequently cited conceptualization defines presence as a "perceptual illusion of nonmediation" which occurs "when a person fails to perceive or acknowledge the existence of a medium in his/her communication environment and responds as he/she would if the medium were not there." The underlying assumption is in the absence of technology, everyone experiences continuous presence at a constant intensity throughout their lives. Instead, this article suggests presence is not a constant of everyday nonmediated experience. Careful consideration of unmediated (real) presence might help conceptualization and study of mediated presence. Presence research has emphasized engineering the senses more strongly than engineering the mind. We look for ways technology can more closely approximate human sensory