Virtual reality as communication tool: A sociocognitive analysis

Virtual reality (VR) is usually described by the media as a particular coll ection of technological hardware: a computer capable of 3-D real-time anima tion, a head-mounted display, and data gloves equipped with one or more pos ition trackers. However, this focus on technology is somewhat disappointing for communication researchers and VR designers. To overcome this limitatio n, this paper describes VR as a communication tool: a communication medium in the case of multiuser VR and a communication interface in single-user VR . The consequences of this approach for the design and the development of V R systems are presented, together with the methodological and technical imp lications for the study of interactive communication via computers.