Characteristics of interaction and cooperation in immersive and non - immersive virtual environments

This research presents three studies that investigate the characteristics of the interaction and cooperation activities in immersive and non-immersive virtual environments. The first study explored the characteristics of the interaction during a cooperative task; the second one investigated the characteristics of the cooperation strategies used in the cooperative task; the final one verified if and how the level of immersion in the virtual environments influenced the performance and the characteristics of the interaction/cooperation. The results of the studies showed a substantial homogeneity between immersive and non-immersive VR environments. In both environments, partners produce a reciprocal influence on their actions and seem to be able to perceive their conjoint communicative work. However, the average time used to complete the task is significantly longer in the immersive phase instead of in the nonimmersive one. Moreover, our experience showed that simulation sickness is a significant problem for the immersive experience.