'Age Isn't Just a Number': Effects of Virtual Human Age and Gender on Persuasion, Social Presence and Influence in VR

Explore a 10-minute IEEE conference talk examining how virtual human characteristics affect user experiences in virtual reality. This research presentation investigates the significant impact of virtual human age and gender on persuasion, social presence, and influence during VR social encounters. Conducted by researchers from Clemson University and BMW Group, the study employs a multi-factorial design with 45 participants to analyze how virtual human demographics interact with user characteristics to influence brand attitude, interpersonal attraction, source credibility, and presence. The findings reveal that virtual human age and gender significantly affect persuasiveness and social impact, with effects varying based on the user's own age and gender. Gain valuable insights for designing effective virtual sales strategies and tailoring persuasive technologies to diverse user profiles, addressing an important gap in understanding the interaction between user and agent characteristics in virtual environments.