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Modulating Virtual Affective Elicitation by Human Body Odors: Advancing Research on Social Signal Processing in Virtual Reality

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Augmented Cognition (HCII 2023)

Part of the book series: Lecture Notes in Computer Science ((LNAI,volume 14019))

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Abstract

Human sensory systems are capable of encoding emotion-related signals during social interactions (e.g., fearful or happy facial expressions). In this regard, many emotion elicitation procedures have been reported within the scope of social signal processing research. Most of these procedures rely on socially relevant stimuli, such as emotional face images, videos, and, more recently, virtual reality (VR) scenes. Unfortunately, procedures involving cross-modal interactions beyond visual and acoustic stimuli, such as olfaction, are still scarce. In this sense, neuroscience supports a close link between the olfactory and affective systems. Moreover, experimental research has reported faster appraisals of emotional face images when congruent valence-laden artificial scents were presented (e.g., positive scent-happy face; negative scent-fearful face). Interestingly, recent findings indicate that emotion-related human-body odors (HBOs) might also modulate affective appraisals during a neutral virtual reality experience. However, whether and how emotion-related HBOs modulate affective VR experiences requires further examination. Here, an approach to this research question is proposed from a Virtual Reality-based Behavioral Biomarker (VRBB) experimental framework. Concretely, in the first place, a novel affective elicitation procedure based on social-emotional VR is introduced, wherein electro-dermal activity (EDA), heart-rate variability (HRV), electroencephalography (EEG), and affective appraisals, will be accounted for. In a second step, the modulating role of HBOs will be investigated regarding those measures. This work presents the envisioned model, details of the devised VEs, and a research design to test concrete hypotheses.

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Acknowledgment

This project is funded by the European Union (EU) Horizon 2020 Project “POTION-Promoting Social Interaction through Emotional Body odors” (Grant Number: 824153).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Human-Centred Technology Research Institute (HUMAN-Tech). Polytechnic University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain

    Sergio Cervera-Torres, Maria Eleonora Minissi, Luna Maddalon, Irene Alice Chicchi Giglioli & Mariano Alcañiz

  2. Research Center “E. Piaggio”, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy

    Alberto Greco & Alejandro Callara

  3. School of Computer Science and Electronic Engineering, University of Essex, Colchester, UK

    Saideh Ferdowsi & Luca Citi

Authors
  1. Sergio Cervera-Torres
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  2. Maria Eleonora Minissi
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  3. Alberto Greco
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  5. Saideh Ferdowsi
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  7. Luna Maddalon
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  8. Irene Alice Chicchi Giglioli
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  9. Mariano Alcañiz
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Correspondence to Sergio Cervera-Torres .

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  1. Soar Technology Inc., Orlando, FL, USA

    Dylan D. Schmorrow

  2. Katmai Government Services, Orlando, FL, USA

    Cali M. Fidopiastis

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Cervera-Torres, S. et al. (2023). Modulating Virtual Affective Elicitation by Human Body Odors: Advancing Research on Social Signal Processing in Virtual Reality. In: Schmorrow, D.D., Fidopiastis, C.M. (eds) Augmented Cognition. HCII 2023. Lecture Notes in Computer Science(), vol 14019. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35017-7_20

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