Resize Me! Exploring the User Experience of Embodied Realistic Modulatable Avatars for Body Image Intervention in Virtual Reality (2203.05060v1)

Abstract: Obesity is a serious disease that can affect both physical and psychological well-being. Due to weight stigmatization, many affected individuals suffer from body image disturbances whereby they perceive their body in a distorted way, evaluate it negatively, or neglect it. Beyond established interventions such as mirror exposure, recent advancements aim to complement body image treatments by the embodiment of visually altered virtual bodies in virtual reality (VR). We present a high-fidelity prototype of an advanced VR system that allows users to embody a rapidly generated personalized, photorealistic avatar and to realistically modulate its body weight in real-time within a carefully designed virtual environment. In a formative multi-method approach, a total of 12 participants rated the general user experience (UX) of our system during body scan and VR experience using semi-structured qualitative interviews and multiple quantitative UX measures. By using body weight modification tasks, we further compared three different interaction methods for real-time body weight modification and measured our system's impact on the body image relevant measures body awareness and body weight perception. From the feedback received, demonstrating an already solid UX of our overall system and providing constructive input for further improvement, we derived a set of design guidelines to guide future development and evaluation processes of systems supporting body image interventions.

• The paper demonstrates how real-time avatar weight modification can enhance body image therapy by offering a personalized, immersive experience.
• It evaluates three interaction methods—gestures, joystick, and virtual objects—with joystick interaction yielding the lowest workload and highest user preference.
• The study employs both qualitative interviews and quantitative UX measures to validate the system’s efficacy in correcting body image misperceptions.

Exploring the User Experience of Embodied Realistic Modulatable Avatars for Body Image Intervention in Virtual Reality

The paper "Resize Me! Exploring the User Experience of Embodied Realistic Modulatable Avatars for Body Image Intervention in Virtual Reality" investigates the potential of virtual reality (VR) to enhance body image therapy by allowing users to interact with photorealistic and customizable avatars. This research addresses obesity-related body image disturbances and evaluates a VR system that enables users to embody avatars whose body weight can be modified in real-time.

The research focuses on a crucial challenge faced by individuals with obesity: distorted and negative body image perceptions often exacerbated by societal stigmatization. Traditional intervention methods include mirror exposure and cognitive-behavioral approaches, which the paper seeks to augment with emerging VR technologies. The authors propose that experiencing an avatar resembling one's real body but having adjustable weight could aid in correcting misperceptions of body image, thereby supporting therapeutic outcomes.

This paper presents a high-fidelity VR prototype that integrates recent advancements in avatar realism and interactive capacity. Specifically, the system utilizes advanced photogrammetry to construct personalized avatars and employs machine learning techniques to enable dynamic body weight modification. The user experience of this system was evaluated through a formative paper involving 12 participants who interacted with their avatars in a psychotherapeutic virtual environment. Participants' feedback was collected through qualitative interviews and quantitative measures of user experience (UX), including presence, embodiment, and body weight estimation tasks.

Significantly, the system's capacity for real-time avatar modification was tested using three different interaction methods: gestures, joystick controls, and virtual objects. The paper found that joystick interaction afforded the lowest workload and highest user preference, whereas gestures were appreciated for their intuitiveness. Notably, the real-time interactions did not degrade the perceived body ownership or alter the accuracy of body weight estimations negatively.

The implications of this research are multifaceted. Practically, such a system has the potential to serve as an adjunct tool in therapeutic settings, encouraging patients to explore and confront their body images in a controlled and supportive environment. Theoretically, this work contributes to understanding the role of embodiment in immersive VR and its potential to affect cognitive and emotional processing related to self-perception.

Future research should expand the demographic diversity of participants and explore long-term effects of VR-based interventions on body image. Additionally, enhancing the avatar modification technology to include more detailed changes, such as muscle mass versus fat distribution, could increase the applicability and efficacy of these tools.

The findings support the feasibility of leveraging VR for body image interventions and provide design guidelines for developing avatar systems with therapeutic applications. This research advances the field's understanding of how personalized avatars and interactive VR can support mental health interventions, representing a promising intersection of technology and therapy.