Super Hero Revolution
Overview
This bachelor’s thesis examines how virtual superpowers in Virtual Reality (VR) affect users’ self-perception, mindfulness, and perception. The central question is whether visual changes to one’s own mirror image—such as levitation, invisibility, or enlarged body parts—can induce psychological effects like increased self-efficacy or altered spatial awareness.
This thesis’s theoretical foundation is the Proteus effect, which states that people’s behavior is influenced by their avatar’s characteristics. The practical section involves developing VR software with a mirror view to simulate superpowers, allowing users to see their altered form in real-time.
An empirical study evaluates how these changes affect psychological and physiological variables (creativity, empathy, risk perception, etc.) using questionnaires, implicit measures (IAT), behavioral observations, and physiological measurements (heart rate, skin conductance).
The work combines computer science and HCI to explore VR’s potential for emotional, cognitive, and social development.
Team
