Avatar-Mediated Interaction and Collaboration: Perceptions of Individuals with ADHD in the Metaverse Context
Abstract
The metaverse consists of a set of virtual spaces that enable interaction between people, regardless of their location. The mediation of this interaction through avatars can present challenges, especially for neurodivergent individuals, such as those with ADHD, which is the focus of this research. We collected data from real users using the focus group methodological approach, conducted on a 3D platform. Our findings highlight opportunities for improving avatars’ expressions, gestures, and emotions, as well as the design of virtual environments, aiming to minimize distractions. The insights gathered provide an empirical foundation that underscores the importance of developing more inclusive and diverse immersive virtual environments.References
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Braun, V. and Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3:77–101.
Collins, J., Ko, W., Shende, T., Lin, S. Y., Jiang, L., Stevenson Won, A., and Azenkot, S. (2024). Exploring the accessibility of social virtual reality for people with adhd and autism: Preliminary insights. In Proceedings of the 26th International ACM SIGAC-CESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS ’24, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Dionisio, J. D. N., III, W. G. B., and Gilbert, R. (2013). 3d virtual worlds and the metaverse: Current status and future possibilities. ACM Comput. Surv., 45(3).
Faraone, S. V., Banaschewski, T., Coghill, D., Zheng, Y., Biederman, J., Bellgrove, M. A., Newcorn, J. H., Gignac, M., Al Saud, N. M., Manor, I., et al. (2021). The world federation of adhd international consensus statement: 208 evidence-based conclusions about the disorder. Neuroscience & biobehavioral reviews, 128:789–818.
Ghasemi, S., Behravan, M., Ubur, S. D., and Gračanin, D. (2024). Attention and sensory processing in augmented reality: Empowering adhd population. In International Conference on Human-Computer Interaction, pages 301–320. Springer.
Gualano, R. J., Jiang, L., Zhang, K., Shende, T., Won, A. S., and Azenkot, S. (2024). “i try to represent myself as i am”: Self-presentation preferences of people with invisible disabilities through embodied social vr avatars. In The 26th International ACM SIGACCESS Conference on Computers and Accessibility, ASSETS ’24, page 1–15. ACM.
Hatada, Y., Barbareschi, G., Takeuchi, K., Kato, H., Yoshifuji, K., Minamizawa, K., and Narumi, T. (2024). People with disabilities redefining identity through robotic and virtual avatars: A case study in avatar robot cafe. In Proceedings of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems, CHI ’24, New York, NY, USA. Association for Computing Machinery.
Ismail, L. and Buyya, R. (2023). Metaverse: A vision, architectural elements, and future directions for scalable and realtime virtual worlds. arXiv preprint arXiv:2308.10559.
Kinalski, D. D. F., Paula, C. C., Schnitzler, P. H., and et al. (2017). Focus group on qualitative research: experience report. Revista Brasileira de Enfermagem, 70(2):424–429.
Lee, L.-H., Braud, T., Zhou, P. Y., Wang, L., Xu, D., Lin, Z., Kumar, A., Bermejo, C., Hui, P., et al. (2024). All one needs to know about metaverse: A complete survey on technological singularity, virtual ecosystem, and research agenda. Foundations and trends® in human-computer interaction, 18(2–3):100–337.
Meliande, R., Ribeiro, A., Arouca, M., Amorim, A., Pestana, M. C., and Vieira, V. (2024). Meta-education: A case study in academic events in the metaverse.
Meta (2022). What is the metaverse? Accessed: January 12, 2025.
Oliveira, J., Penido, C., Franco, A., Santos, T., and Silva, B. (2022). Especificidades do grupo focal on-line: uma revisão integrativa. Ciência e Saúde Coletiva, 27:1813–1826.
Othman, A., Chemnad, K., Hassanien, A. E., Tlili, A., Zhang, C. Y., Al-Thani, D., Altınay, F., Chalghoumi, H., S. Al-Khalifa, H., Obeid, M., Jemni, M., Al-Hadhrami, T., and Altınay, Z. (2024). Accessible metaverse: A theoretical framework for accessibility and inclusion in the metaverse. Multimodal Technologies and Interaction, 8(3).
Ribeiro, A., Vieira, V., Alves, L., and Maciel, C. (2024). Vishnu: An approach to support the personalization of self-expressive avatars using context-awareness. International Journal of Human-Computer Studies, 185:103243.
Stewart, K. and Williams, M. (2005). Researching online populations: the use of online focus groups for social research. Qualitative Research, 5(4):395–416.
Zallio, M. and Clarkson, P. J. (2022). Designing the metaverse: A study on inclusion, diversity, equity, accessibility and safety for digital immersive environments. Telematics and Informatics, 75:101909.
Zhang, K., Spencer, E. G. S., Manikandan, A., Li, A., Li, A., Yao, Y., and Zhao, Y. (2025). Inclusive avatar guidelines for people with disabilities: Supporting disability representation in social virtual reality.
Published
2025-06-02
How to Cite
MARINHO, Iasmim da Cruz; RIBEIRO, Ailton; VIEIRA, Vaninha; PESTANA, Maria Clara; AMORIM, Ana Maria.
Avatar-Mediated Interaction and Collaboration: Perceptions of Individuals with ADHD in the Metaverse Context. In: BRAZILIAN SYMPOSIUM ON COLLABORATIVE SYSTEMS (SBSC), 20. , 2025, Manaus/AM.
Anais [...].
Porto Alegre: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação,
2025
.
p. 290-299.
ISSN 2326-2842.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5753/sbsc.2025.7023.
