Interactive psychological paradigms
Project overview
A participatory psychological paradigm was developed in a pilot project with a master's student in the field of "time-dependent media" (Arne Sibilis), in which the participants interact non-verbally with a virtual counterpart in order to articulate interpersonal behaviours such as "exercising control", "being led", "being autonomous" and "granting space", but also to experience them from the perspective of the counterpart. This enables dynamic, reciprocal interaction sequences in which the human participant enters into a relationship with a counterpart simulated in real time.
An empirical pilot study with N=41 showed that the participants actually develop an immersive experience and also react emotionally if, for example, their autonomy intentions are blocked by the virtual counterpart. A new version of the MovES paradigm is currently being developed that allows for (dis)affiliative interpersonal behaviours such as "being friendly" or "being hostile". A pilot study is underway to empirically test the psychometric properties of the affiliative version of the MovES paradigm.
Screenshot of the MovES paradigm
Further information
- Responsible: Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
- Publications: Westermann, S. & Sibilis, A. (2022). Emergence and assessment of interpersonal experience and behaviour in a nonverbal, generative, game-like paradigm. Acta Psychologica, 229C, 103689. doi:10.1016/j.actpsy.2022.103689
Project management
Univ.-Prof. Dr.
Stefan Westermann
Chair holder
Faculty of Health (Department of Psychology and Psychotherapy) | Chair of Clinical Psychology and Psychotherapy IV
Alfred-Herrhausen-Straße 44
58455 Witten
