Together in Sync: Assessing Prosocial Behavior with a Full-Body Interactive Mixed Reality Experience
ORCID
- Gray Atherton: 0000-0002-3954-9127
- Liam Cross: 0000-0002-5122-1650
Abstract
This study investigates how interpersonal synchrony (IPS) in full-body interactive Mixed Reality (MR) environments can shape children's prosocial behavior. We introduce DragonIce 2.0, a two-part MR game designed to induce synchronous or asynchronous group activity and assess their impact on prosocial behavior. To examine changes in affiliation (team belonging and peer liking) and collaboration (overt joint actions), we conducted a comparative study with children aged 9–10, using both system logs and self-report measures. The results highlight the importance of context, task structure, and perceived coordination in shaping social outcomes, offering insights into how interaction dynamics shape social engagement in immersive settings. This work contributes a novel approach for studying prosociality in ecologically valid, technology-mediated settings by combining playful, immersive interaction with controlled manipulation of group synchrony. Our findings inform the design of inclusive MR experiences that support social connection, collaboration, and group engagement among children.
DOI Link
Publication Date
2026-03-30
Publication Title
IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics
ISSN
1077-2626
Acceptance Date
2026-02-02
Deposit Date
2026-04-30
Additional Links
Keywords
child-computer interaction, embodied interaction, full-body interaction, Interpersonal synchrony, mixed reality, prosocial behavior
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Recommended Citation
Ercan, S., Gonzalez, B., Gali, O., Atherton, G., Cross, L., & Pares, N. (2026) 'Together in Sync: Assessing Prosocial Behavior with a Full-Body Interactive Mixed Reality Experience', IEEE Transactions on Visualization and Computer Graphics, . Available at: 10.1109/TVCG.2026.3679116
