Crystal L. Hoyt

TARGET ARTICLE: Immersive Virtual Environment Technology as a Methodological Tool for Social Psychology

Historically, at least 3 methodological problems have dogged experimental social psychology: the experimental control-mundane realism trade-off, lack of replication, and unrepresentative sampling. We argue that immersive virtual environment technology (IVET) can help ameliorate, if not solve, these methodological problems and, thus, holds promise as a new social psychological research tool. In this article, we first present an overview of IVET and review IVET-based research within psychology and other fields. Next, we propose a general model of social influence within immersive virtual environments and present some preliminary findings regarding its utility for social psychology. Finally, we present a new paradigm for experimental social psychology that may enable researchers to unravel the very fabric of social interaction.

The independent and interactive effects of embodied-agent appearance and behavior on self-report, cognitive, and behavioral markers of copresence in immersive virtual environments

The current study examined how assessments of copresence in an immersive virtual environment are influenced by variations in how much an embodied agent resembles a human being in appearance and behavior. We measured the extent to which virtual representations were both perceived and treated as if they were human via self-report, behavioral, and cognitive dependent measures. Distinctive patterns of findings emerged with respect to the behavior and appearance of embodied agents depending on the definition and operationalization of copresence. Independent and interactive effects for appearance and behavior were found suggesting that assessing the impact of behavioral realism on copresence without taking into account the appearance of the embodied agent (and vice versa) can lead to misleading conclusions. Consistent with the results of previous research, copresence was lowest when there was a large mismatch between the appearance and behavioral realism of an embodied agent.

Transformational and Transactional Leadership in Virtual and Physical Environments

Transformational and transactional leadership in both physical (i.e., face-to-face) and virtual settings were examined in a laboratory experiment. Leadership style (transformational or transactional) and group setting (face-to-face, immersive virtual environment, or intercom) were manipulated experimentally for three-person ad hoc work groups. Results indicated that, compared to transactional leadership, transformational leadership was associated with decreases in quantitative performance but increases in qualitative performance, leadership satisfaction, and group cohesiveness. Contrary to expectations, neither self- nor collective efficacy mediated the performance effects of leadership style; trust, however, appeared to play an important mediational role. Group performance and cohesiveness were similar across group settings; however, group members were most satisfied with their leader when interacting face-to-face. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed.

Leadership Efficacy and Women Leaders' Responses to Stereotype Activation

The role of leadership efficacy in womens reactance responses to stereotype-based leadership role expectations was examined in two laboratory studies. Participants, selected on the basis of leadership efficacy scores, served as leaders of ostensible three-person groups. Half were primed with the gender leadership stereotype. An immersive virtual environment designed for this research served as the leadership setting. Results indicated that the effects of stereotype activation on women leaders were moderated by leadership efficacy such that high efficacy leaders exhibited more positive, reactance responses (increased perceived performance, increased rated performance, greater domain identification, and higher well-being) than low efficacy leaders. Additionally, perceived performance mediated the domain identification and well-being effects of stereotype activation on high and low efficacy leaders.

“Obesity Is a Disease” Examining the Self-Regulatory Impact of This Public-Health Message

In the current work, we examined the impact of the American Medical Association’s recent classification of obesity as a disease on weight-management processes. Across three experimental studies, we highlighted the potential hidden costs associated with labeling obesity as a disease, showing that this message, presented in an actual New York Times article, undermined beneficial weight-loss self-regulatory processes. A disease-based, relative to an information-based, weight-management message weakened the importance placed on health-focused dieting and reduced concerns about weight among obese individuals—the very people whom such public-health messages are targeting. Further, the decreased concern about weight predicted higher-calorie food choices. In addition, the disease message, relative to a message that obesity is not a disease, lowered body-image dissatisfaction, but this too predicted higher-calorie food choices. Thus, although defining obesity as a disease may be beneficial for body image, results from the current work emphasize the negative implications of this message for self-regulation.

I Can Do That The Impact of Implicit Theories on Leadership Role Model Effectiveness

This research investigates the role of implicit theories in influencing the effectiveness of successful role models in the leadership domain. Across two studies, the authors test the prediction that incremental theorists (“leaders are made”) compared to entity theorists (“leaders are born”) will respond more positively to being presented with a role model before undertaking a leadership task. In Study 1, measuring people’s naturally occurring implicit theories of leadership, the authors showed that after being primed with a role model, incremental theorists reported greater leadership confidence and less anxious-depressed affect than entity theorists following the leadership task. In Study 2, the authors demonstrated the causal role of implicit theories by manipulating participants’ theory of leadership ability. They replicated the findings from Study 1 and demonstrated that identification with the role model mediated the relationship between implicit theories and both confidence and affect. In addition, incremental theorists outperformed entity theorists on the leadership task.

Exploring the effect of media images on women’s leadership self-perceptions and aspirations:

Across two experimental studies, the present research explores how media images depicting counterstereotypical roles for women, compared to those that depict stereotypical roles for women, affect women’s gender role beliefs (Study 1) and responses to a leadership situation (Study 2). Study 1 predicted and found that women exposed to images depicting counterstereotypical roles subsequently reported stronger nontraditional gender role beliefs than women exposed to images depicting stereotypical roles. Study 2 then directly assessed the effect of media images of women on female participants’ self-reported responses following a leadership task. Women exposed to media images of women in counterstereotypical roles reported less negative self-perceptions and greater leadership aspirations than women exposed to images of women in stereotypical roles. Moreover, negative self-perceptions mediated the relationship between media images and leadership aspirations. Implications for increasing women’s representation in the leadership domain are discussed.

Gender Bias in Leader Evaluations: Merging Implicit Theories and Role Congruity Perspectives

This research extends our understanding of gender bias in leader evaluations by merging role congruity and implicit theory perspectives. We tested and found support for the prediction that the link between people’s attitudes regarding women in authority and their subsequent gender-biased leader evaluations is significantly stronger for entity theorists (those who believe attributes are fixed) relative to incremental theorists (those who believe attributes are malleable). In Study 1, 147 participants evaluated male and female gubernatorial candidates. Results supported predictions, demonstrating that traditional attitudes toward women in authority significantly predicted a pro-male gender bias in leader evaluations (and progressive attitudes predicted a pro-female gender bias) with an especially strong effect for those with more entity-oriented, relative to incrementally oriented person theories. Study 2 (119 participants) replicated these findings and demonstrated the mediating role of these attitudes in linking gender stereotypes and leader role expectations to biased evaluations.

Inspirational or Self-Deflating The Role of Self-Efficacy in Elite Role Model Effectiveness

This research examines the role of self-efficacy in women’s responses to elite leadership role models. Previous research on role models has been equivocal, demonstrating that the impact of social comparisons on the self is multifaceted. Using an experimental methodology, 102 female participants were presented with role models (elite, nonelite, control) before serving as the leader of an ostensible three-person group. Findings revealed that women with low, as opposed to high, levels of leadership self-efficacy were less inspired by the highly successful role models and showed deflating contrast effects as demonstrated in their diminished identification with leadership, leadership aspirations, and leadership performance. Moreover, the performance effects were mediated by participants’ identification with leadership. This research has identified an important self-regulatory variable that influences whether people engage in assimilative or contrastive processes when making strategic comparisons and it identifies the important role of self-perceptions in behavioral responses to role models.

AUTHORS' RESPONSE Immersive Virtual Environment Technology: Just Another Methodological Tool for Social Psychology?

We reply to commentaries on our target article (Blascovich et al., this issue). We focus on the more critical comments, agreeing with some, disagreeing with some, and rebutting some. We conclude that the test of the value of immersive virtual environment technology is the degree to which it becomes diffused throughout the field.