We have conducted an fMRI research using virtual reality to study the level of presence that subjects experience during the navigation through a virtual environment, in comparison with the presence felt during a video or a photograph viewing task. The fMRI results have not been analyzed yet, but responses to presence questionnaires have been analyzed. Presence levels are similar to those obtain...

In this article, we consider market places as social places. Social places provide social presence and interaction. Virtual market places often lack in these social factors. Community support tools, such as chat systems or newsgroups try to fill this gap. We argue that a new architecture is needed that brings together customers with common interests. We propose a combined system called GAMA-Mal...

We study effects of social processes’ representation in Internet auctions using laboratory experiments. The inability of participating parties to learn about each others’ bidding behaviour and to extend their comprehension beyond what is presented in auction sites today decreases the social influence compared to traditional face-to-face auctions. This reality is about to change since new intera...

This study examines the question of whether or not media difSer in the perceptions they generate among users with respect to social presence, communication effectiveness and communication interface. The study observes these factors over a four-session period among thirty three groups performing a collaborative writing task. Groups were assigned to one of three treatments, face-toface, distribut...

Although governance is about interpersonal relationships, it appears that the antecedents and consequences of affective bonds (social ties) in social groups dealing with commonpool resources and public goods have been neglected. The welfare costs of the neglect of such bonds and their dynamic properties in economics are unclear but may be substantial. In this paper, I discuss a theoretical ‘dua...

The social loafing effect, that subjects work harder alone than in groups, was contrasted against the use of two motivational techniques. Subjects were 80 undergraduate students at a midwestern university. A 2 x 2 factorial design was employed contrasting the use of group goals with the salience of evaluation apprehension. Subjects, working in groups of four, were asked to generate possible use...