Effects of Nonverbal Communication of Virtual Agents on Social Pressure and Encouragement in VR

Our study investigated how virtual agents impact users in chal-lenging VR environments, exploring if nonverbal animations affect social pressure, positive encouragement, and trust in 30 female participants. Despite showing signs of pressure and support during the experimental trials, we could not find significant differences in post-exposure measurements of social pressure and encouragement, interpersonal trust, and well-being. While inconclusive, the findings suggest potential, indicating the need for further research with improved animations and a larger sample size for validation.