Modelling Stages of Behaviour in Social Virtual Communities

2011 ◽  
pp. 321-328
Author(s):  
Lynne D. Roberts ◽  
Leigh M. Smith ◽  
Clare M. Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Generic Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Once connected to the Internet, there is a myriad of virtual communities that an individual can connect to, interact within and become a member of. However, little is known about the processes individuals employ in identifying, selecting, and interacting within these virtual communities. How does an individual decide which type of virtual environment they will use? What are the stages that individuals go through in their use of virtual communities? Do the stages of use vary across types of virtual communities? In this article, we examine these questions, focusing on stages of use of individual virtual communities within the larger context of patterns of Internet use over time. First, we examine predictors of the type of virtual environments that an individual might use, highlighting the impact of demographic factors, personality, history, and location of Internet use. Then we draw on our own research to examine stages of use of two types of synchronous text-based virtual environments. Finally, we develop a generic model of stages of use of virtual environments.

Modelling Stages of Behaviour in Social Virtual Communities

2009 ◽  
pp. 1147-1156
Author(s):  
Lynne D. Roberts ◽  
Leigh M. Smith ◽  
Clare M. Pollock
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Generic Model ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Over Time

Once connected to the Internet, there is a myriad of virtual communities that an individual can connect to, interact within and become a member of. However, little is known about the processes individuals employ in identifying, selecting, and interacting within these virtual communities. How does an individual decide which type of virtual environment they will use? What are the stages that individuals go through in their use of virtual communities? Do the stages of use vary across types of virtual communities? In this article, we examine these questions, focusing on stages of use of individual virtual communities within the larger context of patterns of Internet use over time. First, we examine predictors of the type of virtual environments that an individual might use, highlighting the impact of demographic factors, personality, history, and location of Internet use. Then we draw on our own research to examine stages of use of two types of synchronous text-based virtual environments. Finally, we develop a generic model of stages of use of virtual environments.

scholarly journals ALVIC versus the Internet: Redesigning a Networked Virtual Environment Architecture

2008 ◽  
Vol 2008 ◽  
pp. 1-9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter Quax ◽  
Jeroen Dierckx ◽  
Bart Cornelissen ◽  
Wim Lamotte
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Virtual Communities ◽  
Real Life ◽  
Point Of View ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Generic Framework ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Networked Virtual Environment ◽  
Near Future

The explosive growth of the number of applications based on networked virtual environment technology, both games and virtual communities, shows that these types of applications have become commonplace in a short period of time. However, from a research point of view, the inherent weaknesses in their architectures are quickly exposed. The Architecture for Large-Scale Virtual Interactive Communities (ALVICs) was originally developed to serve as a generic framework to deploy networked virtual environment applications on the Internet. While it has been shown to effectively scale to the numbers originally put forward, our findings have shown that, on a real-life network, such as the Internet, several drawbacks will not be overcome in the near future. It is, therefore, that we have recently started with the development of ALVIC-NG, which, while incorporating the findings from our previous research, makes several improvements on the original version, making it suitable for deployment on the Internet as it exists today.

scholarly journals Subliminal Cueing of Selection Behavior in a Virtual Environment

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (1) ◽  
pp. 33-50 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gabor Aranyi ◽  
Sid Kouider ◽  
Alan Lindsay ◽  
Hielke Prins ◽  
Imtiaj Ahmed ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Previous Literature ◽  
Intelligent Interfaces ◽  
Fully Integrated ◽  
Virtual Scene ◽  
Selection Behavior ◽  
The Impact ◽  
Rendering Engine ◽  
Selection Of

The performance of current graphics engines makes it possible to incorporate subliminal cues within virtual environments (VEs), providing an additional way of communication, fully integrated with the exploration of a virtual scene. In order to advance the application of subliminal information in this area, it is necessary to explore in the psychological literature how techniques previously reported as rendering information subliminal can be successfully implemented in VEs. Previous literature has also described the effects of subliminal cues as quantitatively modest, which raises the issue of their inclusion in practical tasks. We used a 3D rendering engine (Unity3D) to implement a masking paradigm within the context of a realistic scene and a familiar (kitchen) environment. We report significant effects of subliminal cueing on the selection of objects in a virtual scene, demonstrating the feasibility of subliminal cueing in VEs. Furthermore, we show that multiple iterations of masked objects within a trial, as well as the speeding of selection choices, can substantially reinforce the impact of subliminal cues. This is consistent with previous findings suggesting that the effect of subliminal stimuli fades rapidly. We conclude by proposing, as part of further work, possible mechanisms for the inclusion of subliminal cueing in intelligent interfaces to maximize their effects.

The Role of Internet Utilization Among SMEs on Household Welfare in Indonesia

2020 ◽  
Vol 9 (1) ◽  
pp. 25-37
Author(s):  
Ariska N. Rini ◽  
Lienggar Rahadiantino
Keyword(s):  
Internet Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Household Welfare ◽  
Capita Expenditure ◽  
Household Heads ◽  
Using Data ◽  
One Year ◽  
Small Medium Enterprises ◽  
Medium Enterprises ◽  
The Impact

The Internet has a significant influence on poverty alleviation and economic growth. Internet involvement in small-medium enterprises (SMEs) has the opportunity to create a better level of welfare. Using data from the fifth wave of the Indonesian Family Life Survey (IFLS), this study aims to analyze the impact of internet utilization on household welfare among two groups, household enterprises with internet use for business and without internet use for business. The results of the Propensity Score Matching (PSM) method mention that household enterprises with internet for business purposes have higher household per capita expenditure, food consumption, and non-food expenditure than household enterprises without internet use. Another interesting result finds that household enterprises are likely to use the internet only if household heads at a young age and business establish less than one year.

What Factors Influence the Use of Electronic Commerce?

2021 ◽  
pp. 1893-1910
Author(s):  
Hayri Abar ◽  
Ömer Alkan
Keyword(s):  
Electronic Commerce ◽  
Division Of Labor ◽  
Demographic Factors ◽  
Household Size ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Goods And Services ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Sports Goods

The concept of trade has emerged with the inter-business division of labor. The internet, which is a much more recent concept than trade, has begun to get closer over time. The reason why trade is to see the internet as a commercial tool lies in the fact that the internet is spread over a wide mass network. The aim of this study is to determine socio-economic and demographic factors that are effective in purchasing or ordering goods and services by internet in Turkey. It was found that the number of information equipment, income, being male, working, and education increased the probability of shopping over the internet. It was determined that household size and age decreased. Females shop for clothing and sports goods more than males. The highest correlation with the purchase of other product groups over the internet is through holiday accommodation and other travel-related transactions.

The Perception of Managers on the Impacts of the Internet in Brazilian Hotels

2003 ◽  
pp. 244-259 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luiz A.M.M. Filho ◽  
Anatália S.M. Ramos
Keyword(s):  
Analysis Of Variance ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Test Results ◽  
Communication Tool ◽  
Tukey Test ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The City

The present study has an exploratory nature and aims to analyze the perception of managers on the efficiency, access importance, use as a communication tool, benefits and difficulties of Internet use in Brazilian hotels and also its effects according to the facilities rank and property size plus managers’ age and experience time. It has been used as a questionnaire to collect data from the managers of 35 hotels in the city of Natal, RN, Brazil. By using analysis of variance (ANOVA) and the Tukey test, results showed that there is almost no significant difference on the perception of managers on the impact of Internet use in hotels. However, those variables that were different show that for younger and less experienced managers and luxurious hotels with more than 50 rooms, there is a more favorable perception on the impacts of the Internet.

scholarly journals The Impact of COVID-19 on Mental Health: The Role of Locus on Control and Internet Use

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (19) ◽  
pp. 6985
Author(s):  
Rannveig Sigurvinsdottir ◽  
Ingibjorg E. Thorisdottir ◽  
Haukur Freyr Gylfason
Keyword(s):  
Mental Health ◽  
Locus Of Control ◽  
Information Seeking ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
The United States ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
The Impact

The true extent of the mental health implications of the COVID-19 pandemic are unclear, but early evidence suggests poorer mental health among those exposed to the pandemic. The Internet may have differential effects, by both connecting people with resources, or reinforce the constant checking of negative information. Moreover, locus of control becomes important in an uncontrollable pandemic. The current study aimed to examine whether exposure to COVID-19 would relate to greater symptoms of depression, anxiety and stress, and to examine the role of internet use and locus of control. Adults in the United States and five European countries (N = 1723) answered an online survey through the website Mturk. Results show elevated psychological symptoms among those who have become infected with COVID-19 or perceive themselves to be at high risk if infected. Experience using the Internet relates to fewer symptoms, but information seeking is associated with more symptoms. Internet social capital relates to fewer symptoms of depression. Having an external locus of control relates to greater symptoms. These findings suggest that public health officials need to focus on the mental health effects of the pandemic, and that internet use and locus of control could be targets to improve mental health in the population.

An Introductory Tutorial for Developing Multiuser Virtual Environments

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (4) ◽  
pp. 255-264 ◽  
Author(s):  
Rich Gossweiler ◽  
Robert J. Laferriere ◽  
Michael L. Keller ◽  
Randy Pausch
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Source Code ◽  
Dead Reckoning ◽  
Distributed Applications ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Improve Performance ◽  
Distributed Application ◽  
Broadcast Communication ◽  
Position Data

This paper is an introductory level tutorial describing how to implement a distributed multiparticipant virtual environment (VE). This tutorial is intended for students who are competent programmers and who now wish to implement a distributed multiparticipant application. We describe the fundamental concepts of distributed computing for multiplayer simulations and provide a concrete example, including C source code available via the Internet. The template program demonstrates a simple multiplayer, distributed application, where each player controls the position of a space ship, and communicates the ship's position data over the network. The template uses broadcast communication and a technique called dead-reckoning to improve performance. We give detailed instructions on how to obtain and modify the template, so that students can quickly create their own distributed applications. We conclude by briefly discussing advanced issues that are important when constructing more sophisticated multiparticipant VEs.

Large Models for Virtual Environments: A Review of Work by the Architectural Walkthrough Project at UNC

1996 ◽  
Vol 5 (1) ◽  
pp. 136-145 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark R. Mine ◽  
Hans Weber
Keyword(s):  
North Carolina ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Graphics Hardware ◽  
Extra Effort ◽  
Chapel Hill ◽  
Model Dynamics ◽  
To Come ◽  
The University ◽  
The Impact

Oth law of model dynamics: In a finite (and usually very short) amount of time, users of a graphics system will generate a model that shall bring said system to its knees. The purpose of this paper is to discuss our experiences with the impact of megamodels on interactive virtual environments. We consider a megamodel to be any model that causes the Oth law of model dynamics to come into effect. We will demonstrate how working with megamodels quickly reveals the limitations of the graphics hardware and software being used to support the virtual environment. We will give examples, based upon our experiences on the Architectural Walkthrough Project here at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC), of the kinds of extra effort required to overcome these limitations.

The association between Internet use and health outcomes in the population of older adults

2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (Supplement_5) ◽  
Author(s):  
K Szulc ◽  
M Duplaga
Keyword(s):  
Older Adults ◽  
Health Status ◽  
Health Services ◽  
Health Outcomes ◽  
Internet Use ◽  
Health Behaviours ◽  
The Internet ◽  
Internet Users ◽  
Health Related ◽  
The Impact

Abstract Background The Internet has become one of the primary sources of health-related information. Less is known about the impact of Internet access and use on health-related outcomes in the older population, which frequently suffer from a digital divide. The main objective of this study was the assessment of the associations between Internet use and variables reflecting health status, the use of health services and health behaviours in the population at least 50 years old. Methods The analysis was carried out on the data set from the telephone-based survey in a sample of 1000 respondents representative for targeted age strata of Polish society. The effects of Internet use were assessed with logistic regression models after adjusting for key socioeconomic variables. Results Mean age (standard deviation) of respondents was 64.2 (9.6). In the study group, 51.1% respondents were Internet users, 19.4% - persons with disabilities, 21.2% were hospitalised at least once, and 51.0% visited health care facilities at least six times in preceding 12 months. The respondents being Internet users less frequently reported chronic diseases (OR, 95%CI: 0.21, 0.16-0.30), disability status (0.52, 0.37-0.72) and higher self-assessed health status (1.64, 1.24-2.16). They also less often used health services in the preceding 12 months (0.77, 0.60-0.99. Internet use was not associated with hospital admission in the preceding year (1.04, 0.76-1.41) and most of the health behaviours (smoking: 1.06, 0.77-1.45, physical activity: 0.85, 0.63-1.15, the consumption of fruits and vegetables: 0.73, 0.50-1.07). Interestingly, Internet users drunk more alcohol (1.52, 1.14-2.02). Conclusions In the population of older adults, the use of the Internet is associated with variables reflecting health status and the utilisation of health services. Higher health status and lower prevalence of chronic conditions among Internet users were found after adjusting for age and other socioeconomic factors. Key messages It was shown that Internet use may be related with more favourable health outcomes. The reported association should trigger further research on the impact of Internet in elderly persons.

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