Virtual Reality for Teletherapy: Avatars May Combine the Benefits of Face-to-Face Communication with the Anonymity of Online Text-Based Communication.

Self-disclosure is an essential component of social communication that has been associated with trust, liking, and ultimately strong relationships. As technology continues to develop, so do the number of methods to create and maintain relationships. While speaking face-to-face (FtF) remains the primary way to communicate, computer-mediated communication has become more common, meaning that research into self-disclosure has expanded to new domains, including virtual reality (VR). This study compared self-disclosure between three conversation contexts: FtF, online text-based (OTB) communication, or VR. Zero-contact dyads comprised female university students who completed 20-minute conversations guided by one of two discussion prompts: the closeness-generating or small talk procedure. These prompts were designed to either increase or not increase self-disclosure. These conversations were recorded and coded for the frequency of total, factual, cognitive, and emotional self-disclosures as objective measures. Participants' perceptions of personal and partner's self-disclosures were also assessed by questionnaires as perceived measures. FtF and VR conditions exceeded OTB communication in perceived and objective measures of self-disclosure. Although no significant differences emerged between FtF and VR conditions for factual or perceived self-disclosure, participants in the FtF condition had more total, cognitive, and emotional self-disclosures than VR conditions. Implications for communication and teletherapy are discussed. The present study offers preliminary evidence that VR could potentially rival FtF as a communication medium and be as effective in facilitating self-disclosure. Findings offer a starting point for research on social applications of VR.