Trusting in the Metaverse: On the Effects of Immersion and Avatar-Mediation on Trust in Virtual Work Environments

Virtual reality promises the possibility to meet and work with others as if they were in the same physical room. However, the benefits of immersion depend on users being represented as three-dimensional avatars. This creates the unique situation that the perception of being in the same room can coexist with anonymity with respect to a person’s physical characteristics. This combination raises questions about the technology’s impact on building interpersonal relationships, particularly trust, which is critical for successful business collaborations. In a randomized controlled experiment with 152 subjects, we show that avatar-mediation increases social anonymity, while immersion enhances co-presence. Despite these effects, we provide substantial evidence that they do not lead to differences in trust levels or in the acquaintanceship development process more generally compared to traditional videoconferences. These findings suggest that social VR may not impair relationship building but could offer additional benefits, such as increased co-presence and enjoyment.