Effects of appearance modifications on oral presentation anxiety in video conferencing

Oral presentations are considered to provoke high levels of anxiety, yet limited research has explored this phenomenon in the context of video conferences. Considering the feasibility of private facial filters in video calls and the impact of audience appearance on speakers' experiences, we propose modifying the visual representation of the audience to reduce oral presentation anxiety in video conferences. We found literature evidence supporting the effectiveness of both highly familiar appearances and attractive anime characters in reducing anxiety. Building on this, we conducted a real video presentation experiment with 45 participants, comparing the effects of these two visual modifications through physiological signals, behavioral data, and self-reported measures. The results showed that the appearance of a good friend as a facial filter more effectively alleviated self-perceived oral presentation anxiety and led to higher performance evaluations during one-on-one video conferences, confirming that a familiar audience is a more universally effective approach. On the other hand, the anime character primarily reduced the speaker's attention to the audience's gaze, potentially benefiting in reducing the pressure of being watched. By shedding light on the role of audience appearance in video conference anxiety, this study offers valuable insights and practical strategies for designing customized computer-mediated communication environments that enhance speaker comfort and confidence.