Experience Level Influences User's Criteria for Avatar Animation Realism

Abstract: The sense of realism in avatar animation is a widely pursued goal in social VR applications. A common approach to enhancing realism is improving the match between avatar motion and real-world human movement. However, experience with existing VR platforms may reshape users' expectations, suggesting that matching reality is not the only path to enhancing the sense of realism. This study examines how different levels of experience with a social VR platform influence users' criteria for evaluating the realism of avatar animation. Participants were shown a set of animations varying in the degree they reflected real-world motion and motion seen on the social VR platform VRChat. Results showed that users with no VRChat experience found animations recorded on VRChat unnatural and unrealistic, but experienced users in fact rated these animations as more likely to come from a real person than the motion-capture animations. Additionally, highly experienced users recognized the intent to imitate VRChat's style and noted the differences from genuine in-platform animations. All these results suggest users' expectations of and criteria for realistic animation were shaped by their experience level. The findings support the idea that realism in avatar animation does not solely depend on mimicking real-world movement. Experience with VR platforms can shape how users expect, perceive, and evaluate animation realism. This insight can inform the design of more immersive VR environments and virtual humans in the future.