Publications
Below is a searchable list of publications by the projects of the Priority Program.
1.
Kalus, Alexander; Wolf, Katrin; Yildiran, Sümeyye R.; Kocur, Martin
Exploring the Time Course of the Proteus Effect: Effects of Avatar Age and Embodiment Time on Walking in Virtual Reality Proceedings Article
In: Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 2026, ISBN: 9798400722813.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Age, Avatar, Embodiment, Proteus Effect, virtual reality
@inproceedings{10.1145/3772363.3799291,
title = {Exploring the Time Course of the Proteus Effect: Effects of Avatar Age and Embodiment Time on Walking in Virtual Reality},
author = {Alexander Kalus and Katrin Wolf and Sümeyye R. Yildiran and Martin Kocur},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3772363.3799291},
doi = {10.1145/3772363.3799291},
isbn = {9798400722813},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
booktitle = {Proceedings of the Extended Abstracts of the 2026 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
series = {CHI EA '26},
abstract = {Avatar appearance can influence users’ behaviour within Virtual Reality (VR), a phenomenon known as the Proteus effect. Prior work suggests that walking behavior after VR exposure is affected by the previously embodied avatar’s apparent age. However, little is known about how such effects unfold during ongoing avatar embodiment in VR. We conducted a study where 32 full-body tracked participants embodied young- and old-looking avatars and repeatedly completed a walking route in VR. Results show that participants walked significantly slower when embodying old-looking avatars. Presence and body ownership increased over time. Interestingly, embodiment duration did not significantly affect the magnitude of the Proteus effect on walking speed, with descriptive differences remaining largely stable. These results suggest that the behavioral impact of avatar age persists without substantial change over a 15 to 20-minute VR session. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of avatar age as a design parameter in VR.},
keywords = {Age, Avatar, Embodiment, Proteus Effect, virtual reality},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
Avatar appearance can influence users’ behaviour within Virtual Reality (VR), a phenomenon known as the Proteus effect. Prior work suggests that walking behavior after VR exposure is affected by the previously embodied avatar’s apparent age. However, little is known about how such effects unfold during ongoing avatar embodiment in VR. We conducted a study where 32 full-body tracked participants embodied young- and old-looking avatars and repeatedly completed a walking route in VR. Results show that participants walked significantly slower when embodying old-looking avatars. Presence and body ownership increased over time. Interestingly, embodiment duration did not significantly affect the magnitude of the Proteus effect on walking speed, with descriptive differences remaining largely stable. These results suggest that the behavioral impact of avatar age persists without substantial change over a 15 to 20-minute VR session. Our findings contribute to a deeper understanding of avatar age as a design parameter in VR.
2.
Paneva, Viktorija; Ma, Yilin; Alt, Florian
Embodied Consent Interfaces: A Design Probe for Privacy Decision-Making in Virtual Reality Proceedings Article
In: Companion Publication of the 2026 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference, pp. 486–490, Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, 2026, ISBN: 9798400726323.
Abstract | Links | BibTeX | Tags: Embodiment, Interaction Design., Privacy Permissions, usable privacy, Virtual Reality (VR)
@inproceedings{10.1145/3802974.3809471,
title = {Embodied Consent Interfaces: A Design Probe for Privacy Decision-Making in Virtual Reality},
author = {Viktorija Paneva and Yilin Ma and Florian Alt},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1145/3802974.3809471},
doi = {10.1145/3802974.3809471},
isbn = {9798400726323},
year = {2026},
date = {2026-01-01},
booktitle = {Companion Publication of the 2026 ACM Designing Interactive Systems Conference},
pages = {486–490},
publisher = {Association for Computing Machinery},
address = {New York, NY, USA},
series = {DIS '26 Companion},
abstract = {We introduce Embodied Consent Interfaces (ECIs) as a design probe for rethinking privacy consent beyond dialog-window-based notice-and-choice consent mechanisms. ECIs reframe privacy consent as an embodied, performative process in which users engage with permissions through spatial interaction, ongoing revision, and a deliberate act of commitment. We present a functional ECI prototype in Virtual Reality (VR), where data types are represented as interactive 3D objects, enabling users to explore permission information and select, revoke, or revise their consent decisions through embodied interaction. In an exploratory within-subject study (N = 12), we compare this approach to a dialog-based permission interface. Qualitative findings suggest increased engagement and more cautious consent behavior, while also introducing additional interaction overhead. Finally, we discuss ECIs as a design probe to introduce intentional friction at privacy-critical moments and to explore trade-offs between deliberation and efficiency in consent interaction design.},
keywords = {Embodiment, Interaction Design., Privacy Permissions, usable privacy, Virtual Reality (VR)},
pubstate = {published},
tppubtype = {inproceedings}
}
We introduce Embodied Consent Interfaces (ECIs) as a design probe for rethinking privacy consent beyond dialog-window-based notice-and-choice consent mechanisms. ECIs reframe privacy consent as an embodied, performative process in which users engage with permissions through spatial interaction, ongoing revision, and a deliberate act of commitment. We present a functional ECI prototype in Virtual Reality (VR), where data types are represented as interactive 3D objects, enabling users to explore permission information and select, revoke, or revise their consent decisions through embodied interaction. In an exploratory within-subject study (N = 12), we compare this approach to a dialog-based permission interface. Qualitative findings suggest increased engagement and more cautious consent behavior, while also introducing additional interaction overhead. Finally, we discuss ECIs as a design probe to introduce intentional friction at privacy-critical moments and to explore trade-offs between deliberation and efficiency in consent interaction design.