Virtual Human Interaction Lab

Our Mission

Since its founding in 2003, researchers at the Virtual Human Interaction Lab (VHIL) have sought to better understand the psychological and behavioral effects of Virtual Reality (VR) and Augmented Reality (AR). VR is finally widely available for consumers, and every day we are seeing new innovations. It is critical, now more than ever, that we seek answers to these important questions: What psychological processes operate when people use VR and AR? How does this medium fundamentally transform people and society? What happens when anyone can have a perfect experience at the touch of a button? And how can we actively seek to create and consume VR that enhances instead of detracts from the real world around us?

Recent Research

Wang, P., Han, E., Queiroz, A., DeVeaux, C., & Bailenson, J. (2025). Predicting and Understanding Turn-Taking Behavior in Open-Ended Group Activities in Virtual Reality (To appear). Proceedings of ACM SIGCHI Conference on Computer-Supported Cooperative Work & Social Computing (CSCW).
Santoso, M., Wang, P., Han, E., & Bailenson, J. (2025). Conversational Dynamics in Social Virtual Reality: A Large-Scale, Longitudinal Study of Speech Acts and Nonverbal Behavior. Computers in Human Behavior. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108691
DeVeaux, C., Han, E., Hudson, Z., Egelman, J., Landay, J., & Bailenson, J. (2025). Black immersive virtuality: Racialized experiences of avatar embodiment and customization among Black users in social VR. Computers in Human Behavior, 168. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2025.108639
Maheta, B., Kraft, A., Interrante, N., Fereydooni, S., Bailenson, J., Beams, B., Keny, C., Osborne, T., Giannitrapani, K., & Lorenz, K. (2025). Using Virtual Reality to Improve Outcomes Related to Quality of Life Among Older Adults With Serious Illnesses: Systematic Review of Randomized Controlled Trials. Journal of medical Internet research, 27. https://doi.org/10.2196/54452
McGivney, E., Queiroz, A., Miller, M., Liu, S., Beams, B., Han, E., Woolsey, E., Frazier, K., Petersen, X., Hancock, J., & Bailenson, J. (2025). Complexity of Agency in VR Learning Environments: Exploring Associations with Interactivity, Learning Outcomes, and Affect. Immersive Learning Research Network, 2271. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-80475-5_5