Title:
Understanding user engagement in immersive and interactive stories

dc.contributor.advisor MacIntyre, Blair
dc.contributor.author Dow, Steven P. en_US
dc.contributor.committeeMember Bolter, Jay
dc.contributor.committeeMember Guzdial, Mark
dc.contributor.committeeMember Mateas, Michael
dc.contributor.committeeMember Mynatt, Elizabeth D.
dc.contributor.department Computing en_US
dc.date.accessioned 2009-01-22T15:37:54Z
dc.date.available 2009-01-22T15:37:54Z
dc.date.issued 2008-09-23 en_US
dc.description.abstract Popular science fiction often proffers the Holodeck vision for future immersive media: a seamless and transparent interface connecting users to a virtual world where they transform into a story character and influence unfolding events. In my dissertation, I offer empirical observations on a discussion that has been largely theoretical to this point. I explore the psychological concept of user engagement through an immersive and interactive story experience called AR Façade. In the experience, the "player" interfaces with an animated married couple through an augmented reality (AR) interface that allows for unconstrained body movement and speech communication. The player finds herself in the middle of a marital conflict and can influence how the social scenario plays out through her actions and statements. I have studied the AR Façade experience from the user perspective by conducting mixed-method investigations in two instantiations: our proof of concept lab demo at Georgia Tech and an eleven-week gallery installation at the Beall Center for Art and Technology in Irvine, CA. My thesis challenges the assumptions ingrained in the Holodeck vision by offering empirical evidence that immersive display technology both supports and counteracts the experiential pleasures sought by proponents of the Holodeck medium. Focusing on the experiential aspects of the human-computer interface, I examine how a media experience changes when going from traditional desktop interaction to immersive augmented reality. While the goal of many presence researchers is to strive for an "illusion of non-mediation", I conclude that explicit mediation may be required for reaching embodied narrative engagement. An immersive interface should be mediated to provide clear mechanics to support player agency (the feeling of empowerment over events) and allow the player to manage their distance from the designated character role. In the process of presenting evidence for my claim, I clarify the terminology across the stakeholder disciplines and present an empirical case study that spans media theory, design practice, and computer science. en_US
dc.description.degree Ph.D. en_US
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/1853/26468
dc.publisher Georgia Institute of Technology en_US
dc.subject Augmented reality en_US
dc.subject Virtual reality en_US
dc.subject Agency en_US
dc.subject Dramatic involvement en_US
dc.subject Head-mounted displays en_US
dc.subject Entertainment en_US
dc.subject Storytelling en_US
dc.subject Drama en_US
dc.subject Presence en_US
dc.subject Player styles en_US
dc.subject User studies en_US
dc.subject Artificial intelligence en_US
dc.subject.lcsh Interactive multimedia Psychological aspects
dc.subject.lcsh Virtual reality Psychological aspects
dc.subject.lcsh Augmented reality Psychological aspects
dc.subject.lcsh Shared virtual environments Psychological aspects
dc.title Understanding user engagement in immersive and interactive stories en_US
dc.type Text
dc.type.genre Dissertation
dspace.entity.type Publication
local.contributor.advisor MacIntyre, Blair
local.contributor.corporatename College of Computing
local.contributor.corporatename School of Interactive Computing
relation.isAdvisorOfPublication a2b97dd3-6e99-4f33-bf04-8504a07e7c36
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication c8892b3c-8db6-4b7b-a33a-1b67f7db2021
relation.isOrgUnitOfPublication aac3f010-e629-4d08-8276-81143eeaf5cc
Files
Original bundle
Now showing 1 - 1 of 1
Thumbnail Image
Name:
dow_steven_p_200812_phd.pdf
Size:
29.44 MB
Format:
Adobe Portable Document Format
Description: