Presence (telepresence)
Encyclopedia
Presence is a theoretical concept describing the effect that people experience when they interact with a computer-mediated or computer-generated environment (Sheridan, 1994). Lombard and Ditton (1997) described presence as “an illusion that a mediated experience is not mediated” (Abstract). They explained that the conceptualization of presence borrows from multiple fields including communication, computer science, psychology, science, engineering, philosophy, and the arts. And a variety of computer applications and Web-based entertainment depend on the phenomenon to give people the sense of, as Sheridan called it, “being there” (p. 1).
”, coined by Massachusetts Institute of Technology
professor Marvin Minsky
in 1980 (Steuer, 1993). Minsky's research explained telepresence as the manipulation of objects in the real world through remote access technology (Minsky, 1980). For example, a surgeon may use a computer to control robotic arms to perform minute procedures on a patient in another room. Or a NASA technician may use a computer to control a rover to collect rock samples on Mars. In either case, the operator is granted access to real, though remote, places via televisual tools.
As technologies have progressed, particularly with the advent of the Internet, the need for a new broader term arose. Sheridan (1992) extrapolated Minsky’s original definition. Using the shorter “presence,” Sheridan explained that the term refers to the effect felt when controlling real world objects remotely as well as the effect people feel when they interact with and immerse themselves in virtual reality or virtual environments. This side of presence gained its first pop culture reference in 1984 with William Gibson’s pre-World Wide Web science fiction novel Neuromancer, which tells the story of a cyberpunk cowboy of sorts who accesses a virtual world to hack into organizations. In essence, presence to Sheridan represents two-sides of the same coin. It is the effect felt from engaging in either telepresence or virtual presence.
Lombard and Ditton (1997) went a step further and enumerated six conceptualizations of presence:
Two studies illustrate this idea of the medium as a social actor. Bracken and Lombard (2004) suggested that people, especially children, interact with computers socially. The researchers found, via their study, that children who received positive encouragement from a computer were more confident in their ability, were more motivated, recalled more of a story and recognized more features of a story than those children who received only neutral comments from their computer. Nan, Anghelcev, Myers, Sar, and Faber (2006) found that the inclusion of anthropomorphic agents that relied on artificial intelligence on a Web site had positive effect on people’s attitudes toward the site. The research of Bracken and Lombard and Nan et al. also speak to the concept of presence as transportation. The transportation in this case refers to the computer-generated identity. Users, through their interaction, have a sense that these fabricated personalities are really “there”.
Communication has been a central pillar of presence since the term’s conception. And the Internet, primarily a communicative medium, has depended on virtual presence since its conception. Rheingold (1993) and Turkle (1995) offered MUDs as early examples of how communication developed a sense of presence
on the Web prior to the graphics-heavy existence it has developed today.
“MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeons – imaginary worlds in computer databases where people use words and programming languages to improvise melodramas, build worlds and all the objects in them, solve puzzles, invent amusements and tools, compete for prestige and power, gain wisdom, seek revenge, indulge greed and lust and violent impulses” (Rheingold, 1993, p. 145).
While Rheingold focused on the environmental sense of presence that communication provided, Turkle focused on the individual sense of presence that communication provided.
“MUDs are a new kind of virtual parlor game and a new form of community. In addition, text-based MUDs are a new form of collaboratively written literature. MUD players are MUD authors, the creators as well as consumers of media content. In this, participating in a MUD has much in common with script writing, performance art, street theater, improvisational theater – or even commedia dell’arte” (pp. 11–12).
Turkle explained that much of the presence conveyed in these early text-based worlds depended on descriptions by the users. No one could see one user hug or slap another. But users simply described what happened and let the mind do the rest. Turkle also pointed out, however, that the people who populate virtual worlds could be fabricated identities of real people or could be simply computer-generated bots. Online, you are whoever you say you are. Further blurring the lines, Weimann (2000) wrote that media scholars have found when virtual experiences are very similar to real-life experiences, people can confuse their own memories and have trouble remembering if those experiences were mediated or not.
Evolution of presence as a concept
The specialist use of the word “presence” derives from the term “telepresenceTelepresence
Telepresence refers to a set of technologies which allow a person to feel as if they were present, to give the appearance of being present, or to have an effect, via telerobotics, at a place other than their true location....
”, coined by Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a private research university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. MIT has five schools and one college, containing a total of 32 academic departments, with a strong emphasis on scientific and technological education and research.Founded in 1861 in...
professor Marvin Minsky
Marvin Minsky
Marvin Lee Minsky is an American cognitive scientist in the field of artificial intelligence , co-founder of Massachusetts Institute of Technology's AI laboratory, and author of several texts on AI and philosophy.-Biography:...
in 1980 (Steuer, 1993). Minsky's research explained telepresence as the manipulation of objects in the real world through remote access technology (Minsky, 1980). For example, a surgeon may use a computer to control robotic arms to perform minute procedures on a patient in another room. Or a NASA technician may use a computer to control a rover to collect rock samples on Mars. In either case, the operator is granted access to real, though remote, places via televisual tools.
As technologies have progressed, particularly with the advent of the Internet, the need for a new broader term arose. Sheridan (1992) extrapolated Minsky’s original definition. Using the shorter “presence,” Sheridan explained that the term refers to the effect felt when controlling real world objects remotely as well as the effect people feel when they interact with and immerse themselves in virtual reality or virtual environments. This side of presence gained its first pop culture reference in 1984 with William Gibson’s pre-World Wide Web science fiction novel Neuromancer, which tells the story of a cyberpunk cowboy of sorts who accesses a virtual world to hack into organizations. In essence, presence to Sheridan represents two-sides of the same coin. It is the effect felt from engaging in either telepresence or virtual presence.
Lombard and Ditton (1997) went a step further and enumerated six conceptualizations of presence:
- presence can be a sense of social richness, the feeling one gets from social interaction
- presence can be a sense of realism, such as computer-generated environments looking, feeling, or otherwise seeming real
- presence can be a sense of transportation. This is a more complex concept than the traditional feeling of one being there. Transportation also includes users feeling as though something is “here” with them or feeling as though they are sharing common space with another person together
- presence can be a sense of immersion, either through the senses or through the mind
- presence can provide users with the sense they are social actors within the medium. No longer passive viewers, users, via presence, gain a sense of interactivity and control
- presence can be a sense of the medium as a social actor.
Two studies illustrate this idea of the medium as a social actor. Bracken and Lombard (2004) suggested that people, especially children, interact with computers socially. The researchers found, via their study, that children who received positive encouragement from a computer were more confident in their ability, were more motivated, recalled more of a story and recognized more features of a story than those children who received only neutral comments from their computer. Nan, Anghelcev, Myers, Sar, and Faber (2006) found that the inclusion of anthropomorphic agents that relied on artificial intelligence on a Web site had positive effect on people’s attitudes toward the site. The research of Bracken and Lombard and Nan et al. also speak to the concept of presence as transportation. The transportation in this case refers to the computer-generated identity. Users, through their interaction, have a sense that these fabricated personalities are really “there”.
Communication has been a central pillar of presence since the term’s conception. And the Internet, primarily a communicative medium, has depended on virtual presence since its conception. Rheingold (1993) and Turkle (1995) offered MUDs as early examples of how communication developed a sense of presence
on the Web prior to the graphics-heavy existence it has developed today.
“MUD stands for Multi-User Dungeons – imaginary worlds in computer databases where people use words and programming languages to improvise melodramas, build worlds and all the objects in them, solve puzzles, invent amusements and tools, compete for prestige and power, gain wisdom, seek revenge, indulge greed and lust and violent impulses” (Rheingold, 1993, p. 145).
While Rheingold focused on the environmental sense of presence that communication provided, Turkle focused on the individual sense of presence that communication provided.
“MUDs are a new kind of virtual parlor game and a new form of community. In addition, text-based MUDs are a new form of collaboratively written literature. MUD players are MUD authors, the creators as well as consumers of media content. In this, participating in a MUD has much in common with script writing, performance art, street theater, improvisational theater – or even commedia dell’arte” (pp. 11–12).
Turkle explained that much of the presence conveyed in these early text-based worlds depended on descriptions by the users. No one could see one user hug or slap another. But users simply described what happened and let the mind do the rest. Turkle also pointed out, however, that the people who populate virtual worlds could be fabricated identities of real people or could be simply computer-generated bots. Online, you are whoever you say you are. Further blurring the lines, Weimann (2000) wrote that media scholars have found when virtual experiences are very similar to real-life experiences, people can confuse their own memories and have trouble remembering if those experiences were mediated or not.
Further reading
- Bob G. Witmer, Michael J. Singer (1998). Measuring Presence in Virtual Environments: A Presence Questionnaire
- Matthew Lombard, Theresa Ditton (1997) At the Heart of It All: The Concept of Presence.
- G. Riva, J, Waterworth (2003). Presence and the Self: a cognitive neuroscience approach.
- W. IJsselsteijn, G. Riva (2003). Being There: The experience of presence in mediated environments.