Quantifying Social Presence in Mixed Reality: A Contemporary Review of Techniques and Innovations

Abstract: This literature review investigates the transformative potential of mixed reality (MR) technology, where we explore the intersection of contemporary technological advancements, modern deep learning recommendation systems, and social psychology frameworks. This interdisciplinary study informs the understanding of MR's role in improving social presence, catalyzing novel social interactions, and enhancing the quality of interpersonal communication in the real world. We also discuss the challenges and barriers blocking the wide-spread adoption of social networking in MR, such as device constraints, privacy and accessibility concerns, and social norms. Through carefully structured, closed-environment experiments with diverse participants of varying levels of digital literacy, we measure the differences in social dynamics, frequency, quality, and duration of interactions, and levels of social anxiety between MR-enhanced, mobile-enhanced, and control condition participants.