To Share or Not to Share? Investigating Privacy Attitudes for VR Headsets

Abstract

As virtual reality (VR) technology continues to rapidly advance, privacy concerns surrounding this technology have become increasingly important. This study aims to investigate the effects of three independent variables: information order, sentence structure, and type of authorship endorsement on individuals' attitudes toward privacy policies for VR headsets. The study will employ a 2 (information order: pro first, con second vs. con first, pro second) x 2 (sentence structure: active vs. passive) x 2 (authorship of privacy policy endorsement: human-expert-authored endorsement vs. AI-expert-authored endorsement) design. Participants will be randomly assigned to one of the eight conditions. The experiment will be conducted online, and participants will complete a questionnaire that measures their attitudes toward the privacy policy scenario. The questionnaire will include items that assess their perceptions about intended willingness to share VR movement (including headset, controller, hand, arm, and leg motion), facial tracking, and VR headset exterior camera data. Additionally, the questionnaire assesses participants' perceptions of control, awareness, data intrusion, and disposition to value privacy. This study intends to elucidate how different communication strategies and message sources influence individuals' attitudes toward privacy regarding VR. The findings may help developers and privacy advocates to develop effective ways to communicate the risks associated with VR use and to promote privacy protection. Before conducting this online study and collecting data, we will seek IRB approval.