Catherine Zanbaka Research Statement

My primary research interest areas are human computer interaction, virtual humans, virtual environments, and 3D user interaction. In particular, I am interested in the comparison of human-human interaction to human-virtual human interaction in the context of social psychology. I have conducted experiments which have shown that some of the social influence theories from human-human interactions carry over to human-virtual human interactions. In the future, I will continue to fully examine and understand how people respond to virtual humans under different social settings and ultimately apply these findings to practical applications such as technical training (e.g., nurses, medical students, actors, and technicians), social skills training (e.g., practicing your presentation skills, job interview skills, and countless other social skills), tele-collaboration, and enhancing virtual environments. In my research, I strive for creativity, solid methodology for experimentation and true collaboration with experts from other areas of expertise.