Tag: Second Life

academic, psychologyLeave a comment

An exploration of the value of computer-based virtual environments in the management of visible disfigurement

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Summary We asked three participants to inhabit an avatar in Second Life, first without and then with an overlay mimicking a facial burn. We reviewed comments about the virtual world, the impact of the scar, and responses to facial disfigurement questionnaires. First published by Ether Books, October 2013.   Second Life We used Second Life (SL), a widely accessible online virtual environment (VE) (Au, 2008), the utility of which has been described elsewhere (Hall, Conboy-Hill, and Taylor 2011). The validity of VEs to model human behaviour is underpinned by extensive research by Bailenson and his team (see  Blascovich & Bailenson, … Continue reading An exploration of the value of computer-based virtual environments in the management of visible disfigurement

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academic, avatar, Facial disfigurement, psychology, Sussex University, virtual worldLeave a comment

Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

We found differences among the coping styles identified by participants’ responses on the BICSI and their behaviours in-world. … The discrepancies between the BICSI scores and behaviours in-world suggest future research directions evaluating the longstanding problem of divergent expressed and reported attitudes.   This is a first for Ether Books: ‘Facial Disfigurement in Second Life‘ is a research paper detailing a study in which participants responded to the application of a facial scar to their avatar. A free download for smartphones. http://catalog.etherbooks.com/Products/3014 Related articles Facial disfigurement (slideshare.net)   Continue reading Facial Disfigurement: a study using the virtual world, Second Life

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better broadband, connectivity, West SussexLeave a comment

West Sussex Broadband – getting better connected

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Well, you would expect me to support a campaign for improved connectivity, wouldn’t you? If you’re here, then the chances are you feel the same so just hit the link – West Sussex -Better connected – and register. No need to read any further. But what if you stumbled here, lured by a twitter announcement, or a subscription to the blog, or a search for information about Alex Polizzi’s legs (yes, really)? Read on: West Sussex is a very rural community, more reliant on personal transport and telecommunications for its business and social activities than urban areas. By 2016, it will have a population of over 800,000, of which most will be in … Continue reading West Sussex Broadband – getting better connected

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academic, avatar, Brighton University, Spirit of Enquiry, Sussex PartnershipLeave a comment

Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

I am very sorry to report that this conference has been cancelled. This is due to low levels of registration which, in turn, seem likely to be due to our lack of publicity at a key time (I was away and unable to expedite this – see link), and current pressures on clinical staff to meet necessary targets. The Trust is working hard to deliver complex services to a population of around 1.5 million people, and the present climate is not an easy one within which to operate flexibly. Front-line staff probably feel this more than any of us. Hopefully, we will be back next year. Two guaranteed invitations to present will … Continue reading Spirit of Enquiry conference, 2011

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academic, Brighton University, capacity to consent, high impact journal, Imperial College, learning disabilities, virtual world1 Comment

Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

It can take a long time to translate the uphill trek of the funding application into the enervating research you set out to do And afterwards, there seems to be an even longer trail towards placing an academic report of that work in a suitable publication.  The Journal of Medical Internet Research (JMIR) is about as appropriate a positioning as we could have hoped for, with its focus on best use of technology in the interests of health. As you might expect, JMIR does not confine its publication to dry text, and so there are images drawn from the study, and even a video tour of the virtual environment. We are … Continue reading Using Virtual Reality to Provide Health Care Information to People With Intellectual Disabilities

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academic, Brighton University, Imperial College, learning disabilities, NHS, Sussex Partnership, Wired for Health, Wired Sussex1 Comment

Wired for Health

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

This post was due up last week, then the news about Samantha Backler came through. She deserved her time in the spotlight. On March 17th, an extraordinary event took place at the Lighthouse in Brighton’s North Laines. The R&D department at Sussex Partnership has been developing ideas for projects – research and clinical practice – that seeks digital solutions to health care problems. Second Life is already a research environment for some of us, and more projects are either underway or at the work-up stage. We are also keen to capitalise on social media for communication with staff and service … Continue reading Wired for Health

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Open University, poems, poetry4 Comments

Poetry is weird & quite possibly illegal

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

For the last couple of months, I’ve been immersed in the peculiar world of poetry in order to produce something passable for my OU course. Today, the product of my bemused labours went off to the university for judgment and the long wait for a grade begins. Actually, anything above ‘WTF is that!’ will suffice. I did the required 40 lines; I put my name on the paper; I didn’t take the mick. That’s a pass, surely? So did I learn anything? Well, for a start, I found that poetry describes itself in terms of both feet and meters, thereby … Continue reading Poetry is weird & quite possibly illegal

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academic, avatar, NHS, Sussex Partnership, Treet TVLeave a comment

Imperial College London | Treet TV

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

Imperial College London | Treet TV. Imagine making a live TV show with a bunch of potentially maverick scientists and a studio audience. Nervous? Good. Now imagine that you’re going to do this in a virtual world with all your presenters and guests represented as avatars and communicating using text, in-world voice, and VOIP. Not to mention you need them to face front at the right time, have in-world voice turned on but not up so you get lip sync without echo, and nobody’s connection cracks up. That’s the challenge faced by the Treet TV team that followed Dave Taylor, … Continue reading Imperial College London | Treet TV

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academic, health care1 Comment

Virtual Worlds Research: interview on Australian radio

Suzanne Conboy-Hill

‘Future Tense‘ is a networked programme coming from ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and fronted by the superb Antony Funnell. It focuses on developments in technology and, if its presenter’s level of knowledge, interest and awareness is anything to go by, it has a discerning and informed audience. This episode includes an update on our virtual world study and it’s in the extremely good company of studies of distraction therapy using gaming for children with severe pain, a technique called the Decision Tree to help people engage with and monitor their own health, and medical self-tracking. These programmes, which cover … Continue reading Virtual Worlds Research: interview on Australian radio

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