Real and Illusory Interaction Enhance Presence in Virtual Environments

In two experiments, two forms of interactivity were investigated concerning their effect on presence: (1) the possibility of viewpoint changes, and the (2) interaction with other characters in the virtual environment. A multi-component presence measure was used as dependent variable. The results show that viewpoint changes enhance spatial presence and experienced realism. The presence of other acting characters in the VE may only enhance presence when interactions with them are considered as possible. This was manipulated without changes in the technology by merely giving different instructions to the participants. That presence can be manipulated in this manner supports the idea that the cognitive conceptualisation of a VE determines presence.