Avatar embodiment in VR: Are there individual susceptibilities to visuo-tactile or cardio-visual stimulations?

Pratviel, Yvan; Bouni, Alix; Deschodt-Arsac, Véronique; Larrue, Florian; Arsac, Laurent M. · 2022 · Crossref

DOI: 10.3389/frvir.2022.954808

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Summary

This study investigates whether individual susceptibilities to avatar embodiment in virtual reality (VR) differ based on the type of multisensory stimulation used: visuo-tactile (synchronized physical stroking of the user and avatar) or cardio-visual (synchronized flashing of the avatar with the user’s heartbeat). While previous research established that both methods can induce full-body illusions, it remained unclear if individual traits—such as interoception, visual dependence, empathy, or mental rotation ability—modulate the effectiveness of these specific stimuli. The authors aimed to determine if certain perceptive-cognitive profiles make individuals more susceptible to one stimulation type over the other, which would inform personalized VR interventions. The experiment involved 29 healthy young adults who underwent both visuo-tactile and cardio-visual stimulations in separate sessions. Embodiment was quantified through three components of bodily self-consciousness: self-location (measured via a mental imagery task where participants estimated when a virtual ball touched their feet), perspective taking (measured via reaction times in an own-body transformation task requiring mental rotation of the avatar), and self-identification (measured via heart rate deceleration during a threatening stimulus applied to the avatar). Additionally, participants completed assessments for individual dispositions, including visual field dependence, mental rotation capacity, interoceptive accuracy and sensibility, and empathy. The results confirmed that both visuo-tactile and cardio-visual stimulations successfully induced full-body illusions, evidenced by self-reported ownership, faster perspective-taking reaction times, and significant heart rate deceleration (freezing response) when the avatar was threatened. Crucially, the magnitude of changes in bodily self-consciousness components did not significantly depend on the type of stimulation. Furthermore, principal component analysis revealed no significant covariation between the embodiment measures and any of the assessed individual dispositions. This indicates that, on average, the effectiveness of inducing embodiment via these two methods is independent of the participants’ specific perceptive-cognitive profiles. The study concludes that for healthy young individuals, cardio-visual and visuo-tactile stimulations are equally effective in inducing avatar embodiment, regardless of individual traits like empathy or interoceptive sensitivity. This suggests that VR developers and clinicians can choose between these stimulation methods based on practical constraints rather than user-specific susceptibility. However, the authors note that while group-level data shows independence, individual variations may still exist, warranting further research to identify specific subgroups that might benefit from tailored sensory inputs. The findings support the robustness of multisensory integration in VR embodiment across diverse individual profiles.

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• multisensory crossmodal