Focus Groups, Literature Review, Storyboarding

We are conducting research on alcohol's effects on affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses in a virtual reality dating simulation. The problem at hand is to investigate the influence of alcohol consumption on individuals' emotional, cognitive, and behavioral reactions within a simulated dating scenario. 

Alcohol consumption is prevalent in social settings, including dating scenarios, and its impact on individuals' decision-making processes and behavior needs to be comprehensively studied. Virtual reality provides a controlled and immersive environment for observing and analyzing these effects, allowing for a more realistic simulation compared to traditional laboratory settings. By examining the specific domains of affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses, the research can shed light on the potential risks and benefits associated with alcohol consumption in dating contexts, contributing to the development of targeted interventions and harm reduction strategies. Ultimately, this research aims to enhance our understanding of the complex interplay between alcohol, human behavior, and virtual reality, informing both academic research and practical applications for individuals in real-world dating scenarios. 

The present study aims alcohol’s effects on affective, cognitive, and behavioral responses in a virtual reality dating simulation.

Intended Focus Group Age (female and male)

"Pew Research Center." Fact Tank: News in the Numbers, 17 January 2019, https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2019/01/17/where-millennials-end-and-generation-z-begins/. 

Within the simulation, users will encounter five female avatars, each possessing different combinations of four variables presented at random. These variables consist of modestly dressed avatars with varying levels of alcohol use, as well as promiscuously dressed avatars with different alcohol consumption levels. Additionally, the color red will be incorporated, as studies indicate that men tend to perceive women wearing red as more attractive and sexually receptive.

Our storyboard unfolds in a beer garden setting, where users can immerse themselves and engage in interactive conversations while making decisions within the simulation. This particular scenario represents the second date between the user and the avatar, integrating elements that reflect the realities of modern-day dating – communication through texting.  

However, it is important to note that this date is a pivotal moment in the research, preceding the avatar's invitation to their apartment. In this subsequent stage, the study aims to explore the influence of alcohol on users' responses to potential instances of sexual harassment. The simulation intends to assess users' boundaries and examine how far they may be willing to go with the avatar under the influence of alcohol.

By incorporating these relevant aspects of contemporary dating dynamics, our research seeks to provide valuable insights into the impact of alcohol on individuals' decision-making processes and behaviors in potentially compromising situations.

1. The dating simulation will begin by providing the user with a menu-style option to choose the hands that closely resemble their own skin tone. By incorporating the visualization of the user's hands, this implementation significantly enhances the virtual reality (VR) experience, effectively immersing the user within the virtual space.

2. The following screen will be presenting the user with a menu-style option that shows various avatars. They can select their preferred avatar from the menu to personalize their experience. The menu will provide avatar descriptions, similar to a dating profile. 

3. Once a female avatar is selected the simulation fades into the start of the first scene. The user is dropped into a beer garden/brewery environment. For the entirety of this scene, the user will not be able to move around. The user is sitting at a table and greeted by their waiter for the night (this might help align with the user’s overall VR experience since they are already going to be intoxicated when they start the experience). In the background there are other tables filled with people and a live band playing on stage. We do not see the female avatar yet.

*The “beer” choice is bolded indicating his decision.

3.1 Shortly after the opening of the scene, the female avatar arrives and greets the user. She apologizes for arriving a little late, but mentions that she lives just around the corner so it thankfully didn’t take too long to make it to the beer garden. This statement helps provide context for a more natural flow/transition to the later portions of the scenes.

4. The user is given a single prompt trigger to aid in the natural flow of conversation, mentioning that he is happy to see her again and asking the female avatar if she would like a drink. The prompt will appear in the user’s line of sight and is activated either by voice or by point-and-click* with the hand controls. By mentioning that the user is happy to see the female avatar again, we are further establishing a history between the two people.

*If selecting with point-and-click, a pre-recorded voice will play, saying the prompt. 

5. The female avatar will respond acknowledging that she is glad they were able to meet again. She proceeds by asking the viewer to surprise her with a drink. The options for drinks will reappear allowing the user to order for her. This helps set up the first “choice dialogue” the user will be given.

*“mixed drink” is bolded to indicate the user’s choice

6. The user is given two prompts to choose from to continue the conversation forward: 1. Ask about her current work project, or 2. Ask if the current band playing is similar to the one she mentioned when they were texting earlier in the day. This illustrates the relevance of modern socializing, where communication takes place between dates.

7. The female avatar answers respectively to either prompt the user selects and takes a few more sips of her drink.

8. The avatar mentions that the drink he ordered for her is really good and that is running low fast. The user notices the waiter in the background and decides to call him. The prompt to “call waiter” shows up to either be clicked on or with voice ui.

9. The server walks over, and the scene fades to black as the server sets down their drinks and the avatar is seen drinking and laughing.

10. A time jump occurs to indicate the date has been going well/on. This allows us to also speed up the flow of the scene without feeling too artificial.

11. The scene fades back in. We are still at the beer garden, however more empty drinks are now visible on the table along with food to indicate the female avatar and the user have been consistently consuming alcohol with food progressively more intoxicated – although not completely drunk. As the scene opens back up, we see the female avatar giggling at something we understand the user has said just before the scene opens. She mentions how much she is enjoying her time and triggers the user to get another round allowing the user to decide. A few nonverbal indicators let the user know the female avatar is tipsy.

12. The server arrives and mentions that the kitchen is about to close down. An indication that their date has been going good and have been there a while.

13. After the server leaves, the avatar states how she has had a great time and she is not ready to call it a night. She suggests they keep the date going, noting that her place is just around the corner.

14. The scene then fades out to transition us to the next scene inside the female avatar’s apartment.

This is our initial approach to the beer garden date scenario, where the user will engage with their chosen avatar date.

This research project is anticipated to span a duration of five years. As the project progresses, we intend to facilitate focus groups wherein participants will be presented with a range of elements including potential dates, diverse clothing options, preferred body types, and their perception of a beer garden date. Furthermore, we aim to gauge participants' inclination towards visiting either the woman's or the user's apartment following the date. Subsequently, the subsequent phase will involve the creation of an apartment scene storyboard, taking into consideration interactions, dialogue, and the floorplan.