Björn Bengtsson, Institutionen för datavetenskap: Virtual Communication

This paper presents the notion of virtual communication as communication in which one or more parties deviates so strongly from the perceived interlocutor that the communication becomes untrue to reality in some respects. Virtual communication is also implicit, where behaviors and actions communicate intentions and values. It is the premise of this investigation that such phenomena are reinforced through modern information technology. Literature in related disciplines is reviewed. Based on this review, a number of suggestions as to how to proceed with studies of virtual communication are presented. The paper also reports an experiment investigating the impact of anthropomorphic computer interfaces. Finally, an observational study of the World Wide Web is presented, and future work is suggested.

Keywords Virtual communication, virtual reality, computer-mediated communication, information technology, human-computer interaction, cognitive psychology, anthropomorphic interfaces, agents, computer networks, computer-supported cooperative work.

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Ola Henfridsson