Protecting Personal Space in Social Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Proximity-Control Features on Adoption Intention

Xie R, Franke F, Birnstiel S, Morschheuser B (2026)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2026

Publisher: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc.

Pages Range: 410-419

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings - 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, VR 2026

Event location: Daegu KR

ISBN: 9798331559458

DOI: 10.1109/VR67842.2026.00062

Abstract

Harassment and personal space invasions have been a core privacy threat in social virtual worlds from the outset, often causing lasting harm to victims and reducing their willingness to engage with these technologies. Media coverage of such incidents further amplifies fear and discourages potential users. In response, platforms have increasingly emphasized proximity-control features that allow users to protect themselves both preventively and reactively - most prominently through safety bubbles and avatar blocking. However, no study to date has examined whether these features influence adoption-relevant factors. To address this gap, we conducted a video vignette-based online survey with 195 participants in Germany, each exposed to a mild personal space invasion scenario under one of three conditions: no safety features, safety bubble, or avatar blocking. Results show that both safety bubbles and avatar blocking positively influence relevant adoption factors such as trust, controllability, satisfaction, and use intention. Safety bubbles additionally improved perceived safety and reliability, appearing to be the more effective solution due to their preventive nature. Finally, implications of the findings are discussed.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sandra Birnstiel Assistant Professorship of Information Systems (Gamification) - endowed by adidas

Involved external institutions

Otto-Friedrich-Universität Bamberg DE Germany (DE) ConPolicy GmbH DE Germany (DE)

How to cite

APA:

Xie, R., Franke, F., Birnstiel, S., & Morschheuser, B. (2026). Protecting Personal Space in Social Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Proximity-Control Features on Adoption Intention. In Proceedings - 2026 IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, VR 2026 (pp. 410-419). Daegu, KR: Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc..

MLA:

Xie, Runjie, et al. "Protecting Personal Space in Social Virtual Worlds: The Impact of Proximity-Control Features on Adoption Intention." Proceedings of the 33rd IEEE Conference on Virtual Reality and 3D User Interfaces, IEEE VR 2026, Daegu Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers Inc., 2026. 410-419.

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