Title:	AGENTS AND TRUST IN THE METAVERSE
Author(s):	Thomas Keller, Danny Wang and Elke Brucker-Kley
ISBN:	978-989-8704-53-5
Editors:	Paula Miranda and Pedro Isaías
Year:	2023
Edition:	Single
Keywords:	Agents, Virtual Reality, Trust
Type:	Full
First Page:	31
Last Page:	38
Language:	English
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Full Contents:	click to dowload
Paper Abstract:	This study discusses the relevance of agents and trust in the metaverse and explores how trust is formed between individuals and agents in a virtual world like the metaverse, specifically in the context of healthcare consultations. The research aims to identify the factors that influence the trustworthiness of an agent and how these factors can be applied in the design of digital avatars to enhance patient trust. The study draws on psychological theories such as similarity attraction theory, attractiveness theory, exchange theory, attribution theory, and expectancy theory to understand the formation of trust. Different avatars with variations in visualization, voice, and gestures, were created and a laboratory experiment with male participants aged 24-30 was conducted. The results of the experiment showed that trust in agents can be explained by psychological theories. Agents that displayed similarities to human features and conveyed competence and expertise were more trusted by the participants. However, avatars with exaggerated or non-human characteristics were met with distrust. The study concludes that psychological theories can be applied in the metaverse to build trust, and the design of avatars should consider factors that enhance trustworthiness. Overall, this research provides insights into the importance of trust in the metaverse, particularly in healthcare contexts, and offers recommendations for designing trustworthy digital avatars.
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