International Society
for Presence Research

Month: March 2026

  • Fiction author on parallels between dissociative disorders and VR, social media

    Published:

    [The author of this personal essay from the literary website CrimeReads describes parallels between her experiences due to Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder (DPDR) and the use of presence-evoking virtual reality and social media, and how those experiences are illustrated in her latest novel. For more information, visit Kelsey Day’s website. –Matthew] Kelsey Day on the Dissociative Horrors of Virtual Reality and Social Media The author of The Spiral Key unpacks the derealization inherent in modern tech By Kelsey DayMarch 19, 2026 I visited in the winter of 2024, when the Manhattan streets were sickly gray. The front door glittered, glass sprayed with…

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  • Call: 28th ACM International Conference on Multimodal Interaction

    Published:

    [NOTE: Visit the conference website for more Calls and other information. –Matthew] Call for Papers: 28th ACM International Conference on Multimodal InteractionTheme: Context and Cultural Awareness for Multimodal InteractionOctober 5-9, 2026Napoli, Italyhttps://icmi.acm.org/2026/ Deadline for submissions of abstracts: April 13, 2026 (full papers: April 20, 2026) The 28th International Conference on Multimodal Interaction (ICMI 2026) will be held in Napoli, Italy. ICMI is the premier international forum for advancing research at the intersection of multimodal artificial intelligence (AI) and social interaction to create technically innovative, effective, and human-centered multimodal interactive systems. A unique aspect of ICMI is its multidisciplinary nature, bringing…

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  • Study finds 3D VR anatomy education lightens students’ cognitive load

    Published:

    [Supporting arguments about the benefits of presence, a new study by researchers in the College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences at Colorado State University demonstrates that students have a lower cognitive load when learning about complex anatomy structures using three-dimensional rather than flat, two-dimensional images in virtual reality. Follow the links in the story for more information. –Matthew] [Image: The HP Omnicept virtual reality headset, equipped with biometric sensors, was used to measure participants’ cognitive load while viewing instructional anatomy content. Credit: Photo courtesy of the Clapp lab.] New study finds 3D virtual reality anatomy education lightens students’ cognitive…

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  • Call: Playing Between The Lines: The Pleasures (and Despair) of Real and Virtual Football

    Published:

    Call for Contributions: Playing Between The Lines: The Pleasures (and Despair) of Real and Virtual FootballA Workshop at DIGRA 2026, the 17th Annual Digital Games Research AssociationJune 14-18, 2026Maynooth, Irelandhttp://commlist.org/archive/all/2026-all/msg00450.html Deadline for submissions: April 10, 2026 OVERVIEW With the FIFA World Cup 2026 overlapping with DiGRA 2026 this workshop invites researchers, designers, and critics to explore intersectional pleasures and despair within real and virtual football. Football videogames are forms of play that exist between performance and simulation, fandom and labour, identity and escapism. This can take the form of photorealistic simulation sports games such as EA FC, eFootball, and Football…

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  • AI videos and images of Iran war spread widely, distorting perceptions of reality

    Published:

    [Once again, technology is being used to evoke presence and distort media users’ perceptions of reality, but following the predicted trajectory, the AI-generated videos and images of events related to the war in the Middle East are more convincing and easier to create, more prevalent especially on social media, and harder for either humans or AI to detect – and therefore more dangerous. The link-filled story below by CNN’s excellent fact-checker Daniel Dale provides details and perspective (see also a 5:16 minute video segment from CNN on the topic). Much more coverage is available from the BBC, Wired, the New…

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  • Call: Future of Human-Computer Interaction Conference

    Published:

    Call for Papers: FHCI: Future of Human-Computer Interaction ConferenceAffiliated with the 11th Future Technologies Conference (FTC)October 15-16, 2026Berlin, Germanyhttps://saiconference.com/FHCI Deadline for submissions: April 1, 2026 The Future of Human–Computer Interaction Conference (FHCI) serves as a dedicated venue for rigorously peer-reviewed research that examines the evolving relationship between humans and computational systems. As digital technologies increasingly shape how people work, learn, and interact, sustained research in the HCI domain is essential to ensure that these systems remain usable, inclusive, and aligned with human needs and capabilities. FHCI fosters scholarly exchange across the HCI community, enabling researchers to situate their work within…

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  • In new lab, dental hygiene students get “real experience” with virtual patients

    Published:

    [Students in the Community College of Baltimore County’s dental hygiene program are getting “hands-on” learning experiences in a new, first-of-its-kind in the US virtual reality lab. The story below is from WBAL-TV in Baltimore, Maryland; see the original version for a 3:03 minute video report (also available on YouTube). For more information, see an earlier CCBC press release and a 2:00 minute video on Vimeo. –Matthew] [Image: Source: CCBC] CCBC’s dental hygiene virtual reality lab makes history, revolutionizes training By Breana RossMarch 6, 2026 DUNDALK, Md. — Dental students are getting real experience in a new virtual reality lab in…

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  • Call: Operationalising the Audiovisual Turn in Digital Journalism

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Operationalising the Audiovisual Turn in Digital JournalismSpecial issue of the journal Digital Journalismhttps://think.taylorandfrancis.com/special_issues/operationalising-the-audiovisual-turn/ Special Issue Editors: Jonathan Hendrickx, University of Copenhagen, Department of Communicationjohe@hum.ku.dk María-Cruz Negreira-Rey, University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Communicationcruz.negreira@usc.es Jorge Vázquez-Herrero, University of Santiago de Compostela, Department of Communicationjorge.vazquez@usc.es Sherwin Chua, Hong Kong Baptist University, Department of Journalismsherwinchua@hkbu.edu.hk Deadline for submission of abstracts and bio statements: April 17, 2026 This special issue of Digital Journalism focuses on the ongoing audiovisual turn in journalism, which reinforces the central role of video content in shaping news production, distribution, and the audience experience.…

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  • “XR for VR” makes manufacturing more accessible for people with disabilities

    Published:

    [The short story below from the North Dakota Monitor via KVRR, and the longer one from The Bismarck Tribune via GovTech.com that follows it, describe a promising application of presence to help people with disabilities learn about and obtain jobs in manufacturing (and in the future, other fields). See the XR for VR website of Bismarck State College for more information. –Matthew] [Image: Bismarck State College unveils its new virtual reality room on March 9, 2026. The room is part of the XR for VR project, which uses virtual reality to help people with disabilities see what it’s like to…

    Read more: “XR for VR” makes manufacturing more accessible for people with disabilities

  • Call: Video Game Cultures 2026: Ludic Literacies – Learning Across Playful Contexts

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Video Game Cultures 2026: Ludic Literacies – Learning Across Playful ContextsSeptember 3- 5, 2026University of KlagenfurtKlagenfurt, Austriahttps://videogamecultures.org/call-for-papers/ Deadline for submissions of abstracts and bio statements: May 4, 2026 As digital games increasingly shape how we learn, relate, deliberate, and imagine the future, questions of what it means to be literate in and through ludic systems have become both urgent and expansive. Games are no longer marginal cultural artifacts; they are complex aesthetic, ethical, and political environments in which knowledge, values, and identities are negotiated across multiple contexts. Responding to shared interests and themes emerging from our recent…

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  • Expanded simulation center trains military medical personnel to save patients during transport

    Published:

    [An expanded simulation center at the University of Cincinnati replicates the challenging environments of “en route” medical care for the training of US Air Force medical personnel. This story from the Cincinnati Enquirer via Yahoo! News, provides some of the details. Excerpts from the UC Health press release follow, and a 2:52 minute video report from Spectrum News is also available. –Matthew] [Image: Source: UC Health] Saving soldiers in virtual reality, UC Health opens training center By Cameron KnightMarch 12, 2026 For a moment on March 11, a room on the bottom floor of one of UC Health’s buildings in…

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  • Call: Algorithmic Images and Informational Urgencies: Challenges and Transformations in Contemporary Photojournalism

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Algorithmic Images and Informational Urgencies: Challenges and Transformations in Contemporary PhotojournalismSpecial Issue of Estudios sobre el Mensaje Periodístico (Studies of Journalistic Messages)https://revistas.ucm.es/index.php/ESMP/monograficos/periodismografico Guest Editors:Nieves Limón-Serrano (University of Castilla-La Mancha)Marta Martín-Núñez (Jaume I University)Mathias-Felipe-de-Lima-Santos (University of New South Wales, Universidade Federal de São Paulo y Universitat Pompeu Fabra) Deadline for submissions: June 30, 2026 PRESENTATION AND OBJECTIVES Digital technologies have revolutionized photographic imagery and photojournalism. Although the potential to transform representations of reality has been inherent to photography since its invention—and used since its inception—the ease of use, widespread accessibility, and cost reduction brought by these technological developments…

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