FOCUSING ON VIRTUAL GROUPS: A METHOD FOR FOCUS GROUP INTERVIEWS IN XR/VR GROUP SETTINGS

Resumen

The art of Internet Research is always developing, while also firmly rooted in the theoretical frameworks of the past. As technologies have evolved over time, new ways of interacting have become pervasive, and with them, a need for a different means of analyzing such interactions. Through all of this change, internet researchers have discussed and developed effective methodologies to suit the needs of research. Significant work has been done on digital ethnographies, digital interviews, and surveys using online systems. One area not as widely discussed and developed is the use of online focus groups in synchronous video forums like Zoom or Extended Reality (XR) spaces such as ENGAGE or VRChat. This paper describes our approach to methodological systems for better understanding digital interaction through focus group interviews within such media. Specifically, we present the theoretical underpinnings and design of an upcoming focus group study we are conducting within a virtual world setting. We focus on questions of how to incorporate different types of virtual avatars for the participants and how to collect observable data in the virtual space, including language and avatar behavior. Finally, we describe how such data can be used to understand questions of communication, power, individual agency, and identity that occur in these group settings.