Social Buddy:
This research project aims to design, develop an intervention, and evaluate its impact on promoting social interactions in collaborative virtual environments using a conversational virtual character among adolescents who are experiencing isolation from their friend(s).
Study 1: Survey and Interview Studies
Our research involves a series of studies with a clear purpose. Initially, we conducted a comprehensive review of existing literature to gather information on the interventions and psychosocial challenges faced by adolescents with lived experiences of significant illness, as we identified them as the most disadvantaged and isolated group within the healthcare system. In our first participant study, we surveyed and interviewed healthcare professionals with experience working with adolescents who face prolonged hospitalisation or home isolation due to significant illnesses (e.g., Cystic Fibrosis, Cancer). This initial study allowed us to collect data and gain insights into the psychosocial well-being of the targeted adolescent group and explore the potential of social VR to improve their social interactions.
Study 2: Co-design Study
Next, we entered the second participant study, which involved co-design sessions with the target adolescent group. However, considering the challenges posed by adolescents' significant illnesses, we decided to minimise their engagement as much as possible based on the recommendations of healthcare professionals. Therefore, we sought support from adolescents in the same age group to design the "Social Buddy." As a result, we conducted our co-design sessions with 13-16-year-old adolescents who already had one or more remote connections with their close friends or family, as they couldn’t meet their friends or family in person at that time. During the co-design sessions, we designed and developed the "Social Buddy" to meet specific social needs and explored how to improve the social experiences of adolescents with their remote friends or family by utilising a conversational virtual character. Over a period of seven months, we conducted a total of 13 sessions with 5 participants, with each participant participating in 5 sessions.
Study 3: Evaluation Study
We carried an evaluation study with 13-19-year-old adolescents who maintain a remote connection with their friends as they can't meet their friends in person. We assessed the impact of the "Social Buddy" app and the conversational virtual character on enhancing social interactions and user experiences within the social VR space. The "Social Buddy" app offers a virtual reality experience through a game called "Hot or Cold" to improve social interactions among adolescents within a Social VR space.
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