psychological definitions of virtual reality

Defining Virtual Reality (VR) by psychological effects is applied science-neutral and therefore can provide a more enduring definition of virtual reality. It is built on the effects of the world on human action and belief, not the technological depths of how those effects are achieved. Using a psychological or behavioral framework one can identify four progressive levels of virtual reality -- (1) first level virtual reality is a computer-constructed environment in which people do not behave like they are in a genuine setting and do not lose sight of the fact that they are not in the tangible world. (2) level two Virtual Reality (VR) is an artificially-generated world in which the participating people interact as if they were in a genuine world, but do not forget that they are not in the physical world. (3) level three virtual reality is an artificially-generated environment in which people interact as if they were in the actual world and temporarily forget that they are not in the genuine world. (4) level four virtual reality is a computer-constructed world in which the participating people interact like they are in a genuine setting and earnestly believe that they are in the tangible world. In order to reach higher-level effects, the computer-fabricated construct must engage major portions of the information processing potential of vital senses (such as vision, hearing, touch) and vital human control methods (especially hand and head motion). For more VR discussion, see Circular Solutions .

While technology might not be a consistent way to specify virtual reality, some technologies are strongly related with human sensation of reality in the near term can function as a temporary proxy for their psychological effects. To be specific, the potential for a human to relate to a virtual world as if it were actual greatly increases with: image renderings that are three-dimensional, cover much (more than 100 degrees) of a person's span of vision, and move with motions of one's head or eyes; real-time responding actions by virtual components and environments to a person's locomotor activity; and haptic tactile sensation by a human of surfaces in the virtual setting. Link to Virtual Tours Connecticut provides further useful information regarding VR.

See also: Virtual TVs goes into greater depth.