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Overweight and obesity represent major public health issues that affect more than 12.7 million children and adolescents. Health behavior change plays a critical role in self-managing obesity and overweight and can set the foundation for lifelong health for children and adolescents. Despite the potential of digital health technologies (DHTs) to help children and adolescents self-manage obesity and overweight, user engagement with DHTs, which plays a critical role in driving health behavior changes and improving health outcomes, remains low. One way to enhance user engagement with DHTs involves leveraging virtual characters through inducing self-presence among users. However, it is unclear how one can design virtual characters to achieve self-presence in DHTs to help children and adolescents self-manage obesity and overweight. The current study draws relevant data from a larger user-centered design science project to design a DHT that targets obese and overweight adolescents. We first derived relevant affordances pertinent to designing virtual characters through the self-presence perspective and then constructed design guidelines based on our findings. Further, we reviewed existing studies to determine potential support to further generalize our design guidelines. Based on our evidence, we propose design principles that can inform future efforts to design and assess virtual characters in DHTs. Developers and researchers who want to make DHTs more impactful in fostering healthier lifestyles among the youth should find our results useful. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the physical world, choices about self-representation are tied to the body. However, avatar embodiment offers users many more options. These options are often constrained or promoted according to the economic models of the platforms that support different virtual worlds. Still, work on user motivations for avatar embodiment has generally not accounted for these constraints. To help explain users' interest (or lack of interest) in immersive technology, we discuss the mismatch between platform intentions and avatar affordances. We describe how user and platform motivations intersect in the 'embodied identity economy', a model in which users either 'pay' for access to embodied experiences with data from their physical identity or fund economy with cash payments. We present a framework of avatar embodiment using two dimensions: consistency versus discrepancy with the user's physical identity, and experiential versus identity-based self-presence. We describe three ways in which avatars can be consistent with the user's physical body: through appearance, through behavior, and the extent to which avatar data is linked with the user's identity in the physical world. We relate this concept to recent discussions of a proposed 'metaverse' as a hub for life online. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to develop the Cross-Media Self-Presence Questionnaire (CM-SPQ) for assessing self-presence in a broader range of digital contexts in comparison to the Self-Presence Questionnaire (SPQ) and to subsequently examine its reliability and factorial validity. The SPQ was introduced in 2009 (Ratan & Hasler, 2009) and later examined and developed by Ratan and co-authors (Rattan, 2010, 2011; Ratan & Hasler, 2010; Ratan & Sah, 2014; Ratan & Dawson, 2016). The CM-SPQ was crafted in this study, tailored to measure self-presence in diverse digital environments. Reliability and factorial validity of the CM-SPQ were assessed using data from Latvian active Internet users (n = 227), aged from 13 to 65 years old (M = 26.6, SD = 8.4). An exploratory principal-axis factor analysis with an oblique rotation was employed to evaluate its factorial validity. Three factors emerged from the analysis, interpreted as (1) Body-level self-presence (F1: the experience of physical presence and embodiment), (2) Identity-level self-presence (F2: the subjective experience of the self-emerging from an individual's digital interactions and the way they are perceived by others), and (3) Emotion-level self-presence (F3: the affective responses individuals have during digital interactions). The three distinct factors displayed high internal consistency, and the composite measures of each self-presence level were interrelated. The CM-SPQ, a novel instrument, aligns with psychometric standards, facilitating research on self-presence across various digital environments among individuals with digital identities.

Jacques Derrida’s critique of Edmund Husserl in Voice and Phenomenon targets several ways in which Husserl’s theory of signs is said to remain dependent on a model of presence, and therefore to be a form of onto-theology. In a sense this simply extends Martin Heidegger’s own critique of Husserl as failing to account for what remains obscure behind any presentation to the mind. Yet Derrida’s critique is ultimately more radical than Heidegger’s, though the radicality is in this case unjustified. Namely, Derrida goes beyond Heidegger’s critique of presence to mount an additional critique of “self-presence,” which is more often known as “identity.” Derrida’s insufficiently motivated critique of identity leads to additional problems for his philosophy.

This paper proposes a reflection on temporality in adolescence. Particular attention is focused on the process of appropriation of time, which is an operation required of adolescents to allow them to transform time, felt as extraneous to themselves, into a time of their own, that is, a unique and unrepeatable time for that individual. In investigating this process, the author, taking Minolli's concept of historical configuration as a starting point, speculates that adolescents must bring back to themselves a temporality initially configured by the environment. The author also explores the dimension of future as a prospective dimension for the individual. He introduces the idea of going back to one's own future: a process that allows adolescents to transform the future into their own prospect. Finally, the author introduces a clinical vignette to illustrate a particular breakdown in the circular recursion between past, present and future that assumes the connotation of a temporality disorder: the futurization disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In daily life, various activities are undertaken either alone or with companions, and some of these activities involve a degree of risk. Beyond our concern for our own safety, we also care about other's safety. The current research investigates the influence of self-presence on how we perceive risk for the other. Across six studies (including two preregistered studies), we consistently found that when individuals were present (vs. absent), they were inclined to perceive their friend as safer when exposed to the same source of risk. This difference in perception can be attributed to individuals believing they have greater control over probabilistic events and experiencing lower levels of anxiety when accompanying their friend. Importantly, this perception bias could not be explained by the number of individuals engaging in risky behavior or the extension of optimistic bias. Furthermore, the self-presence effect did not exist among friends characterized by close relationships. These findings reveal a potent source of risk perception bias based solely on the presence of self. • People perceive the other person as safer when they are present (vs. absent). • People believe they can better protect their friend when accompanying them, which lowers their negative emotions. • The self-presence effect could not be explained by the number of people engaging in risky behavior or by optimistic bias. • The effect did not exist among friends characterized by close relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Observer memories involve a representation of the self in the memory image, which is presented from a detached or external point of view. That such an image is an obvious departure from how one initially experienced the event seems relatively straightforward. However, in my book on this type of imagery, I suggested that such memories can in fact, at least in some cases, accurately represent one’s past experience of an event. During these past events there is a sense in which we adopt an external perspective on ourselves. In the present paper, I respond to a critical notice of my book by Marina Trakas. Trakas argues that my account of observer memory unfolded against the background of a problematic preservationist account of episodic memory, and that I failed to adequately account for the presence of self in observer memory. I respond these worries here, and I try to clarify key points that were underdeveloped in the book.

Observer memories, memories where one sees oneself in the remembered scene, from-the-outside, are commonly considered less accurate and genuine than visual field memories, memories in which the scene remembered is seen as one originally experienced it. In Remembering from the Outside (OUP, 2019), Christopher McCarroll debunks this commonsense conception by offering a detailed analysis of the nature of observer memories. On the one hand, he explains how observer and field perspectives are not really mutually exclusive in an experience, including memory experiences. On the other hand, he argues that in observer memories there is no additional explicit representation of oneself experiencing the event: the self-presence is transparent and given by the mode of presentation. Whereas these are two lines of strategic and original argumentation, they are not exempt of problems. In this critical notice, I focus on the problematic aspects of McCarroll’s account. I show that it presents some issues that affect the internal coherence of the overall framework, and that some aspects and central notions would have needed more development to offer a precise picture of the nature of observer memories.

Internet gaming disorder (IGD) is a rapidly expanding psychopathological manifestation necessitating further research and clinical attention. Although recent research has investigated relationships between user-avatar and excessive gaming, little is known about the interplay between IGD and avatar self-presence and its dimensions (i.e., the physical, emotional, and identity bond developed between the user and the in-game character). The aim of the present pilot study was twofold: (i) to investigate the associations between physical, emotional, and identity aspects of self-presence associate and IGD severity, and (ii) to assess IGD variations longitudinally in relation to the three dimensions of self-presence (i.e., proto-self-presence, core-self-presence, and extended-self-presence). The sample comprised 125 young adults aged between 18 and 29 years who underwent either (i) three offline measurements (1 month apart, over 3 months) or (ii) a cross-sectional online measurement. Regression and latent growth analysis indicated that the initial intensity of the physical, emotional, and identity self-presence aspects associated with IGD severity, but not to its longitudinal change. Overall, young adult gamers may exhibit higher IGD risk and severity when the experience of physical, emotional, and identity bonding with their in-game character is pronounced. The implications surrounding treatment and preventative policy recommendations are further discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this paper is to defend the thesis, found across the works of Edmund Husserl, that the most fundamental level of subjectivity – the so-called absolute consciousness – is given in time as an immediate unity. In order to do so, I first consider Martin Hägglund's critique of the Husserlian absolute consciousness. My subsequent answer to Hägglund has two parts: firstly, I argue that Hägglund's own account of subjectivity is contradictory; secondly, I offer a model of absolute consciousness impervious to Hägglund's critique. Drawing on Husserl's "Bernau Manuscripts," I demonstrate that time is, in fact, compatible with the notions of immediacy and unity, and that a correct account of the Husserlian absolute consciousness recognizes the latter to be given as a temporally differentiated immediate unity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Copyright of Análisis Filosófico is the property of Sociedad Argentina de Analisis Filosofico and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

This study aimed to develop a scale of presence in ubiquitous technologies. The development process of the instrument had 4 stages: 1) the choice of behavioral attributes related to the object of study and the operation of the construct, 2) the presentation to three judges, two focus groups and a 3) pilot application in a reduced sample (n = 30) and 4) an application with 458 participants. In order to obtain validity and reliability evidences we performed internal consistency analyzes, confirmatory factor analysis and multigroup confirmatory factorial analysis. The final version of the Presence Scale in Ubiquitous Technologies has 14 items, grouped into three independent factors (Self-Presence, Spatial Presence and Social Presence), and has a good internal consistency index (alpha = 0.905) and an acceptable adjustment index (χ2 = 116.83, gl = 74, p <0.01, CFI = 0.99, RMSEA = 0.035, SRMR = 0.053), with equivalent psychometric parameters by gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper lists the problems that philosophical therapy deals with and tries to provide a definition of philosophical therapy. In particular, we find references to Homeric psychology, contemporary therapeutic trends, and examples of the use of philosophical therapy (observation records after individual sessions of philosophical therapy or group work). This article develops the connections between philosophical therapy and the ancient understanding of philosophy (ancient spiritual exercises). The focal point of our considerations concerns the application of philosophical therapy to the process of becoming a person. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the body is perceived through media is key to many well-being interventions. Researchers have examined the effects of platforms on users' self-perceptions, including immersive virtual reality, nonimmersive virtual worlds, and social media such as Facebook. In this article, we use several conceptions of levels of embodiment to compare empirical work on the effects of virtual reality and social media as they relate to perceptions and conceptions of the self and body. We encourage social media researchers to utilize research on embodiment in virtual reality to help frame the effects of social media use on well-being. Similarly, researchers in immersive media should consider the opportunities and risks that may arise as embodied experiences become more social. We conclude our discussion with implications for future applications in mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Virtual worlds face stiff competition and the threat of a high user attrition rate. While considerable research has investigated factors for continued use of virtual worlds, there has been little attention on how users’ embodiment in virtual worlds (i.e., avatars) affect this important cognitive decision. We developed a research model drawing on self-awareness theory and presence, to explain how user continuance intention may be influenced by avatars, in particular self-similar ones. Through a survey with 209 virtual world users, we tested our research model using structural equation modeling. Results indicate that avatar-self similarity positively affects continuance intention through self-awareness and self-presence. The findings verify that avatar characteristics influence post-adoption behavior and emphasize the importance of user autonomy in design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated how users felt a sense of self-presence when they were exposed to self-relevant avatars. Specifically, this study used both self-report and electroencephalogram (EEG) measures to explore how users would psychologically and physiologically respond to avatars wearing their own faces. Twenty-five undergraduate students participated in an EEG-based experiment that employed a 2 × 4 within-subjects factorial design. In the experiment, each of the participants was randomly exposed to eight combinations of two types of image presentations (photo image vs. avatar image) and four categories of human faces (self-faces vs. famous faces vs. ideal faces vs. unfamiliar faces). The self-report result data indicated that participants felt significantly higher senses of physical similarity to and identification with the characters when they were exposed to their own faces in the form of a photo image. The findings of the EEG data also demonstrated that participants paid much more attention to their own faces than to any other faces regardless of the image presentation type. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper provides an extension of the definition of the concept of self-presence (named Objective self-presence) in digital games, and in doing so, challenges the traditional concepts of immersion and presence / self-presence in games. The design process of the submitted game Illusion Master is used as a case study to show how the related concepts of presence and immersion can be addressed in a different manner in and through digital games. It is argued that self-presence need not necessarily involve a situation where players feel as if their virtual self is their actual self. In games studies, this definition of presence is very much linked to the concept of immersion, which looks at how a player is surrounded by an immersive new reality. In this paper, it is argued that self-presence can also manifest itself through a double-consciousness where a player is both engrossed in the game, while remaining conscious of him/herself as a human being engaging with a game outside the game world.

In this paper, I present evidence of the developing interest in spirituality in healthcare and treat three questions it raises: (1) what makes a person and a life spiritual so that a strictly medical model of health and care won't do?; (2) what is the scope of healthcare?; and (3) what makes care in healthcare 'spiritual' precisely? In addressing the first question I attend to the etymological roots of "spiritual" and articulate how the notion of "spiritual" in Pauline biblical texts is being retrieved today in spirituality studies and research but in a way, also, that does not attach it strictly to religious affiliation. In addressing the second question, I highlight the holistic meaning of healthcare by first attending to the etymological roots of health. I then show that adequate healthcare also requires reflection on the notion of the good and illustrate what I mean by interpreting a biblical narrative. In addressing the third question, I draw on lived experience to illustrate how care-providers may need enhanced religious literacy to read and respond to care-seekers irrespective of their own personal beliefs. However, I also argue that what makes care distinctively spiritual in the first instance has less to do with the subject matter of the care-the what of the care-and more to do with how carers act, with, that is, the self-presence of the carers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

People cherish and embrace the symbolic value that their unique handwritten signature holds. Technological advances, however, have led organizations to reject traditional handwritten signatures in favor of the efficiency and convenience of e-signatures. This research directly investigates the possibility that while many common e-signatures may objectively perform the same function as signing by hand, they do not exert the same symbolic weight in subsequent decision making. Seven studies consistently demonstrate these e-signatures' ineffectiveness for curbing individual dishonesty—one of the essential purposes of a signature. Furthermore, the effects are caused by their inadequate ability to evoke the signer's self-presence. Results also identify one form of e-signature that can preserve this crucial psychological connection. Meta-analyses across studies conducted for this research establish the reliability and robustness of the associations between common forms of e-signatures, self-presence, and dishonesty. By systematically examining whether , why , and which e-signatures abet cheating, findings illuminate an unexplored—but critical—consequence of a practice that is prevalent worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Perfect Human tempts a formalist reading: that the human is perfect when, thanks to the camera's intervention, it does not appear in the world. Yet Leth's aim is not to confirm this modern ideal of human self-sufficiency; rather, he exiles the human on film to expose our hunger for the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Though considerable research has investigated spatial and social presence, little research has examined the influence of self-presence in a mediated environment. The present work is an empirical study of the role of self-presence in a social virtual world on individuals’ offline health, appearance, and well-being. Second Life users (N =279) completed an online questionnaire about their experiences of presence in the virtual world, the influence of their avatar on their offline appearance and health behaviors, and their level of satisfaction with the relationships they developed online. It was hypothesized that self-presence would be positively associated with avatar influence on health and appearance and that self-presence would render the influence of spatial and social presence statistically non-significant. Additionally, it was hypothesized that self-presence would be positively associated with satisfaction with relationships developed in the virtual world. Support was found for these predictions. Results suggest that self-presence is uniquely linked to the influence of the virtual self on offline health and appearance and is a significant predictor of the development of satisfying online relationships. Individual differences and potential prosocial effects of virtual worlds are also discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This study investigated the effects of viewing angle manipulated through screen size and the moderating role of players’ immersion tendencies on presence experience in the context of computer game playing. Thirty participants played a third-person computer game, Tomb Raider 2, in two screen size conditions: a 12.7-in. and an 81-in. display. ANCOVA analyses showed that playing in front of a large screen led to a more favorable impression on the game character, a more positive mood change, and significantly higher feelings of both physical and self-presence, confirming previous research. Our findings also revealed that individuals’ intrinsic immersion tendencies have a positive moderating effect on the sensation of physical and self-presence, above and beyond the influence of screen size. The results suggest that feeling of presence as well as overall game experience is determined by the interaction between technological factors and human influence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Two experiments examined the effects of exposure to a pre-game story prior to playing a computer game. In Experiment 1, participants played a computer game after watching a 5min pre-game story video about the main character of the game. Prior exposure to the pre-game story positively influenced participants’ feelings of presence and their game evaluation. The effect of pre-game story exposure on game evaluation was mediated by participants’ feelings of presence. When a comparison between participants who watched the pre-game story and those who watched a non-story video was conducted, no mediating role of feelings of presence was found. In Experiment 2, participants read a movie script before playing the game. Its results partially replicated those of Experiment 1 with no significant mediating role of feelings of presence. The implications of the current study were discussed with respect to (1) studies on stories in computer games, (2) presence research, and (3) the design of computer games. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The concept of self-presence provides a framework for understanding how people connect to virtual self-representations on three distinct levels (body, emotions, and identity). The present study aims to build on previous support for the reliability and construct validity of this framework. Participants (N=81) who used avatars in a semester-long collaborative virtual group project were examined. A factor analysis of the Self-Presence Questionnaire (SPQ) was mostly consistent with the framework of self-presence, though a new sub-factor emerged, possibly due to new SPQ items or limitations of the virtual environment. Factors of self-presence were related to social presence as expected, but not to frequency of avatar changes. These findings support the framework, but deeper explorations of the concept are still necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]