This document discusses using virtual worlds for virtual assisted self interviewing (VASI) surveys. It summarizes past research on online gaming communities and virtual worlds. A beta test of a virtual data collection interface (VDCI) in Second Life had over 70 respondents with positive feedback. Current research is comparing sampling methods and demographics from SL to real world populations. Future research possibilities include surveys conducted in and about virtual worlds to take advantage of low social presence.

1. Virtual Assisted Self Interview Research Mark W. Bell Indiana University Edward Castronova Indiana University Gert G. Wagner Berlin University of Technology, DIW Berlin, and Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin

2. Dusk Project Research Delayed Virtual Assisted Self Interview Research Funded!

3. Thanks

5. New method not methodology

6. New method of data collection

7. Pen & Paper Mail Telephone Computers

8. Technology changes result in data collection changes

10. Virtual Worlds

11. Virtual Assisted Self Interviewing (VASI): An Expansion of Survey Data Collection Methods to the Virtual Worlds by Means of VDCI http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=1188562

12. Virtual-Assisted Self Interview

13. Virtual Data Collection Interface

14. Surveys Dispensed By Kiosks 24/7

15. Low Social Presence and complete anonymity

16. Evaluating New Methods 1) Degree of Interviewer Involvement 2) Degree of Interaction with the respondent 3) Degree of Privacy 4) Channels of communication 5) Technology use 6) Coverage 7) Non-response 8) Measurement error Groves et al. (2004) Couper (2000)

17. Past Research Griffiths, M. D., Davies, M. N., & Chappell, D. (2003). Breaking the Stereotype: The Case of Online Gaming. CyberPsychology & Behavior , 6 (1), 81-91. Seay, A. F., Jerome, W. J., Sang Lee, K., & Kraut, R. E. (2004). Project Massive: A study of online gaming communities. CHI '04 extended abstracts on Human factors in computing systems (pp. 1421 - 1424). Vienna, Austria : ACM. Yee, N. (2006a). Motivations for Play in Online Games. CyberPsychology & Behavior , 9 (6), 772-775. Yee, N. (2006b). The Demographics, Motivations and Derived Experiences of Users of Massively-Multiuser Online Graphical Environments. RESENCE: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments , 15, 309-329. Yellowlees, P. M., & Cook, J. N. (2006). Education About Hallucinations Using an Internet Virtual Reality System: A Qualitative Survey. Academic Psychiatry (30), 534-539. Williams, D. (2006c). On and Off the 'Net: Scales for Social Capital in an Online Era. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication , 11 Kemp, J., & Livingstone, D. (2006). Putting a Second Life “Metaverse” skin on learning management systems. Proceedings of the Second Life Education Workshop at the Second Life Community Convention (pp. 13-18). San Francisco: The University Of Paisley.

18. Beta Test Over 70 Respondents No Issues with VDCI Ran for a week with no researcher involvement

19. " an innovative approach to surveys! “ " I took the Survey and I found it great ;) I can imagine how useful it can be for my academic work” " Overall, the experience was good" " I thought it an awesome bit of scripting" " Overall my experience of taking the survey was that it is a very easy, straightforward process." " First off, I thought it was a great tool. It was pretty intuitive and easy to use. I would love to have such a tool myself. "

20. " Just a remark: if u click in the top line in the HUD (title) you'll skip the present question. I didn't notice that, and I skiped just one of the questions (in fact the incoming amounts ;)“ "One of my group members remarked: The survey HUD needs a "back" button. The questions took too long to come into focus. On some of them I tried clicking on them again which only made it go on to the next question without an answer by mistake, but I had no way to go back. “ "The only suggestion I have is that on the last 'screen' with thank you, you also give instructions for detaching it (and maybe in the notecard too).“ "Lag causes questions to rez slowly (or can), a bit frustrating waiting to be able to read a question.

21. Current Research Demographics & Quality of Life

22. Sampling

24. Compare Sampling methods Random Sampling Convenience Sampling

25. Compare To Existing Data SL Population US & German Populations

26. The Future Is Null- ish