Lack of Visual Information Implicitly Inhibits Interactivity of Virtual Discussion: The Effects of Video Presence

Abstract

This study aimed to elucidate the impact of visual information absence on participants’ speech and their evaluation of virtual discussions. Fifty-eight Japanese university students were divided into 29 pairs and randomly assigned positions on various topics. These pairs were then randomly allocated into two groups: (a) the balanced group, wherein both participants viewed the video, and (b) the unbalanced group, wherein one participant had the video on while the other turned it off. Virtual discussions were conducted to resolve position-based problems through interaction. The results showed no differences between the video conditions regarding the evaluation of comfort and interactivity during discussions. However, the unbalanced group exhibited fewer utterances favoring the other-side and less frequent revoicing of opposing opinions. These results suggest that the absence of visual information in virtual discussions may hinder the sharing of opposing viewpoints without participants’ awareness.