International Society
for Presence Research

Author: Matthew Lombard

  • Call: Mental Models of AI Workshop at ACM IUI 2027

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Mental Models of AIWorkshop on Mental Models in Human-AI Interaction: Methods and Challenges in the Generative and Agentic AI EraCo-located with ACM IUI 2027, Annual ACM Conference on Intelligent User InterfacesFebruary 8, 2027Helsinki, FinlandMM/AI Workshop: https://mentalmodelsofai.com/ACM IUI: https://iui.acm.org/2027/ Deadline for submission of papers: November 9, 2026 The mental model construct is widely used in HCI to refer to the knowledge structure people hold to reason about computing systems. Yet the construct is often used interchangeably with related concepts (e.g. folk theories, sensemaking) and methods of studying it are many and diverse. Generative and agentic AI systems further…

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  • Parapresence: Interactions with a made-up ghost

    Published:

    [Some context for today’s pre-Halloween post: In Lombard and Jones (2015) we identified types of presence referenced in published works, including one we labelled “parapresence,” in which “the aspect of the phenomenon that is of primary interest is related to social entities (human, electronic and otherwise), specifically their perceived physical presence in one’s environment when they are not, and could not logically be, present.” Here are some sample definitions: The story below from IFL Science describes what might be another example of parapresence. See the original version for some related videos. For a related story, see “I See Dead People”…

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  • Call: Getting involved: Our lives with mediated characters

    Published:

    Call for Papers: Getting involved: Our lives with mediated charactersSpecial issue of the journal Psychology of Popular Mediahttps://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/ppm/getting-involved.html Coeditors:Nathan Walter, Northwestern University – [email protected] Tukachinsky Forster, Chapman University (Guest editor) – [email protected] Timeline:Deadline for submission of full-length manuscripts: May 1, 2027Anticipated publication: July 2028 Twenty-five years ago, Jonathan Cohen’s foundational work on identification with media characters helped transform how communication and psychology scholars understand the relationship between audiences and the characters they encounter through media. By distinguishing identification from related experiences such as liking, similarity, and parasocial interaction, Cohen offered a conceptual vocabulary that would profoundly influence media psychology scholarship.…

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  • Kennesaw State researcher explores VR to improve student engagement in STEM

    Published:

    [An assistant professor of gaming at Kennesaw State University in Georgia (US) has a National Science Foundation (NSF) grant to investigate how we can use personalized, AI agent guided, multisensory VR experiences in STEM (chemistry and computer science) courses to “help learners maintain attention, improve motor skill, and enhance learning in immersive virtual laboratories.” See the project’s NSF page and Professor Jung’s LinkedIn page for more details. –Matthew] [Source: LinkedIn] Kennesaw State researcher explores virtual reality to improve student engagement in STEM By Raynard ChurchwellOctober 26, 2026 KENNESAW, Ga. – A Kennesaw State University researcher is exploring how virtual reality…

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  • Call: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) London 2027

    Published:

    Call for Proposals: Electronic Visualisation and the Arts (EVA) London 2027 ConferenceJuly 12–16, 2027London and onlinehttp://www.eva-london.org/ Deadline for submissions of main conference proposals: January 11, 2027Deadline for submissions of Research Workshop proposals: February 22, 2027 We are delighted to announce the call for proposals for the EVA London 2027 Conference, taking place from 12–16 July 2027 at the BCS London office in Moorgate, central London, UK. The conference will be held as a hybrid event, with both in-person and online participation via Zoom. The conference is organised under the auspices of the BCS Computer Arts Society Specialist Group. For full…

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  • Brain signals linked to cybersickness in immersive environments

    Published:

    [University of Maryland researchers have identified brain wave patterns that correspond to a known cause of cybersickness; the patterns may help technology designers to predict and reduce cybersickness symptoms for virtual and augmented reality users in real time. Follow the link to the research report for more details. –Matthew] [Image: Credit: Illustration by Olivia Mercurio] UMD Researchers Identify Brain Signals Linked to Cybersickness in Immersive Environments Findings from a real-time brain wave study could help virtual and augmented reality designers detect and reduce dizziness, nausea and other symptoms. By Jennifer HollandOctober 22, 2026 For years, developers of virtual reality (VR)…

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  • Call: The Aesthetics of Games

    Published:

    Call for Papers: The Aesthetics of GamesSpecial issue of the Journal of the Philosophy of Gameshttps://www.gamephilosophy.org/cfp-the-aesthetics-of-games-special-issue-of-jpg/ Guest editors: Alexandre Declos (Neuchâtel) and Nathan Wildman (Tilburg) Deadline for submissions: March 31, 2027 Whether games qualify as artworks remains a matter of debate. It is, however, uncontroversial that games can possess aesthetic value and exhibit aesthetic properties. But what is distinctive about the aesthetic appeal of games, and how should we theorize it? Several influential answers have been proposed. Some argue that the distinctive aesthetics of games lies in their interactivity (Tavinor 2009; Lopes 2010) or in the sculpted agencies they afford…

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  • How VR is reshaping counselor education

    Published:

    [At Old Dominion University (ODU) in Virginia, a student’s experience eventually led to a new presence-based approach to teaching graduate students how to guide counseling sessions with clients. See the original version of this story for three more images. For more information see the websites of the ODU Department of Counseling and Human Services, the new XR Lab, and Bodyswaps.  –Matthew] How Virtual Reality is Reshaping Counselor Education By Mindy Ayala-DiazOctober 9, 2026 A headset settles over counseling graduate student Lindsey Rodil’s eyes. In a moment, she will find herself across from a client named Santiago, an anxious-looking man sitting…

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  • Job: Human-Computer/AI Interaction at Yale U.

    Published:

    Call for Applications: Assistant Professor, Human-Computer InteractionYale University: School of Engineering and Applied Science: Computer ScienceNew Haven, Connecticut, USAhttps://apply.interfolio.com/194718 Deadline for submissions to receive full consideration: December 15, 2026 DESCRIPTION The Computer Science (CS) Department in the Yale School of Engineering & Applied Science (SEAS) invites applications for one tenure-track faculty position at the rank of Assistant Professor in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). The anticipated start date is July 1, 2027. Applicants are expected to excel in HCI research and to teach at the undergraduate and graduate level within the Computer Science curriculum. In support of the SEAS Strategic Vision, we…

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  • IFR industry report summarizes service robot trends

    Published:

    [A new report from the International Federation of Robotics (IFR) provides some useful context regarding the evolution and applications of robots, including humanoid robots that are arguably most likely to evoke medium-as-social-actor presence. The organization’s press release is below; see the original version for a 12:05 minute video of the IFR press conference at World Robotics 2026 (also on YouTube) and for downloads that include a large infographic-filled slide deck. –Matthew] Global Sales of Professional Service Robots Surge 24% 117,000 Transport and logistics’ robots lead as top application Frankfurt, September 30, 2026 — Global shipments of professional service robots increased…

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  • Call: Multi-Sensoriality in Emergent Media (online seminar)

    Published:

    Call for Participation: Bristol Digital Cultures Research Centre seminar on Multi-Sensoriality in Emergent MediaOctober 28, 2026 at 12:30 – 14:00 [Time zone in Bristol, UK; note time change October 25, 2026 – Matthew] Online via Zoomhttps://www.dcrc.org.uk/dcrc-seminar-with-susan-kozel-muindi-fanuel-muindi-tom-livingstone/ Please join us for the first 2026/27 UWE Bristol Digital Cultures Research Centre seminar on Multi-sensoriality in Emergent Media. We have a fantastic lineup: Susan Kozel, Muindi Fanuel Muindi and Tom Livingstone. The seminar will take place on line 12:30 – 14:00 on Wednesday October 28th, 2026. You will find the Zoom link and the speakers’ abstracts here below. Zoom link: https://uwe-ac-uk.zoom.us/j/99660618540Meeting ID: 996…

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  • Using VR to study nature’s restorative health benefits

    Published:

    [This story from Drexel University here in Philadelphia describes how researchers are using virtual reality to provide presence experiences with different types of natural (and a control) environment, and physiological measures and questionnaires to assess participants’ responses, with some interesting findings and questions for future research. Follow the link to the new publication for more details. –Matthew] [Image: Virtual reality with fNIRS in Ayaz lab. Credit: Daniel Traub] What Can Virtual Reality Teach Us About Nature’s Restorative Health Benefits? Well-Curated Spaces With Natural Elements Can Create an ‘Aroused Fascination,’ says Drexel Study in Partnership with Longwood Gardens October 16, 2026…

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