Virtual reality (VR) has at least three dominant meanings in communications. Though the distinctions blur in some analyses, these largely discrete areas are: (1) immersive audiovisual technologies; (2) technologies that achieve a similar effect through their ubiquity and apparent removal from mundane reality; and (3) technologies, architectures, and social processes that in some degree resemble
A “traditional” expatriate is an executive or employee of a company who relocates—often with his or her family or significant other—to the country in which the expatriate assignment is located. In contrast, a virtual expatriate does not physically relocate to the host country. Instead, the virtual expatriate manages the responsibilities of the assignment through frequent
Largely due to Rheingold (1993), the term “virtual communities” has become the most popular way to identify interpersonal and Internet-based communication networks to form, maintain, or extend social relationships. In 1993, Rheingold was writing ethnographies of the communities anticipated by pioneers such as Licklider (1968), who imagined the Internet as the source of new meeting
Virtual sports are symbolic representations of embodied, expressive, and ‘‘real world’’ athletic experiences. These sports can involve complete ‘‘out of body’’ practices wherein participants ‘‘play’’ a sport without exerting their bodies in a traditionally athletic way (i.e., a sports video game), or more embodied performances involving physical activity in a simulated sports environment (i.e., athletic
This article delves into the realm of virtual reality training for law enforcement within the context of the US criminal justice process. Commencing with an elucidation of virtual reality technology, the introduction underscores its burgeoning role in transforming law enforcement training methodologies. Recognizing the pivotal importance of effective training in addressing the multifaceted challenges encountered
Virtual organizations are composed of employees spread across different locations who perform different jobs and may also have different cultural identities. These dispersed and diverse employees are joined together by communication technologies such as the telephone, fax, e-mail, Internet, and instant messaging. Some employees of virtual organizations may work alone, functioning essentially as telecommuters. Others
Virtual teams are groups of individuals who work interdependently, are located at a distance from each other, and conduct most of their collaboration through communications technology (rather than face-to-face). A “pure” virtual team is one in which each member is geographically distant from each other member, but more often, at least some of the members
This article explores the burgeoning field of Virtual Reality (VR) applications in therapy within the realm of health psychology. Beginning with an elucidation of the theoretical foundations supporting the integration of VR into therapeutic practices, the discussion unfolds in three distinct parts. Firstly, the exploration of psychological theories substantiates the alignment of VR with established