Research
The VRO project brings together researchers in ancient history, neuroscience, psychology, and human/computer interaction. This multi-disciplinary team is using the VRO to investigate the following research questions:
- Can the VRO advance our understanding of ancient Dodona, oracular consultation, and the effects of this ritual on ancient individuals?
- Can the cognitive and sensory responses of individual users of the VRO enhance the design of immersive VR experiences, particularly for cultural, heritage, educational and academic audiences?
Ancient History
The VRO is helping us to explore the experiences of ancient historical individuals as they engaged in oracular consultation, as well as the nature of the ritual of divination at the site. We are also interested in how VR can help to enhance teaching and learning about ancient cultures.
Neuroscience
By embedding participants in an experience of ancient divination, which can be manipulated, the VRO is helping us to understand the brain functions that underpin such cultural phenomena.
Psychology
We are interested in how individual users of the VRO respond, mentally, emotionally and physically, to being immersed in ancient Dodona, as well as whether the VRO enhances a modern audiences’ understanding of, and empathy with, historical subjects engaged in divination.
Human-Computer Interaction
The involvement of teachers and students in the design and use of the VRO is helping us to provide proof-of-concept for the creation of compelling digital cultural experiences, especially immersive experiences, for use in museum/heritage and educational contexts.
Project Research Papers
- Jicol, C., Clarke, C., Tor, E., Yip, H.L., Yoon, J., Bevan, C., Bowden, H., Brann, E., Cater, K., Cole, R., Deeley, Q., Eidinow, E., O'Neill, E., Lutteroth, C. and Proulx, M.J. 2023, April. Imagine That! Imaginative Suggestibility Affects Presence in Virtual Reality. In Proceedings of the 2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (pp. 1-11).