Identifying emotions toward an overweight avatar in Virtual Reality: The moderating effects of visuotactile stimulation and drive for thinness

Virtual reality technologies can be used to alter one’s body image by inducing ownership of an overweight virtual body. This illusion possibly lead both negative affective responses toward the as well perceptual changes own size, which are scarcely examined with regard embodiment avatar. study’s fundamental aim is investigate, among healthy weight participants, whether affect a and in body-size perception evoked when embodying Additionally, study investigates applying visuotactile stimulation (which has been identified proxy for previous studies) drive thinness influence strength these effects. A 2 (healthy vs. body) × (congruent incongruent stimulation) between-subjects design was employed, participants’ measured test its potential moderating effect. ANOVAs revealed that participants ( N = 114) experienced significantly more one compared Visuotactile did not moderate this effect, even though manipulation worked intended (i.e., experience over higher congruent condition). high than low thinness. Embodiment avatar perceptions, nor or Knowing results it, future studies could deepen our understanding role transfer emotions body, interplay between perceptions.