Understanding Emotional Hijacking in Metaverse

TL;DR

This paper explores how emotions are experienced and measured in the metaverse using VR and EEG signals, aiming to better understand emotional responses in realistic virtual environments.

Contribution

It introduces a framework for analyzing emotional responses in the metaverse through VR experiences combined with EEG-based emotion quantification.

Findings

VR can evoke realistic emotional responses

EEG signals effectively quantify emotional intensity

Presence in VR enhances emotional engagement

Abstract

Emotions are an integral part of being human, and experiencing a range of emotions is what makes life rich and vibrant. From basic emotions like anger, fear, happiness, and sadness to more complex ones like excitement and grief, emotions help us express ourselves and connect with the world around us. In recent years, researchers have begun adopting virtual reality (VR) technology to evoke emotions as realistically as possible and quantify the strength of emotions from the electroencephalogram (EEG) signals measured from the brain to understand human emotions in realistic situations better. This is achieved by creating a sense of presence in the virtual environment, the feeling that the user is there. For instance, [6] studied the excitement of a rollercoaster ride in VR, and [5] studied the fear of navigating in a VR cave.