Aging & Social Change: Fourteenth Interdisciplinary Conference

Abstract

The positive health outcomes of social support are well documented (Berkman et al. 2000; Cobb 1976; House 1987; Pearson 1986), and social support has been found to have a stress-buffering effect (Uchino et al. 1996). In fact, just the perception of being able to access social support can help to buffer against stress (Wethington & Kessler 1986). However, social support networks can be difficult to access, particularly for elder communities. The elder population suffers from loneliness, so this social connection is vital to maintaining a sense of belonging and supporting overall health. Thankfully, social support networks are now accessible through virtual platforms. Virtual technology is a burgeoning industry promising hyper-realistic, multi-sensory experiences and is largely an underexplored format of social support. Preliminary studies demonstrate how virtual reality could be used in a variety of settings, particularly in elder care homes, yet little experimental research exists on the potential health benefits of virtual avatars as a form of social support. I hypothesize that virtual social support, using humanoid avatars in a stress test simulation, may enhance the benefits of emotional and informational social support given in virtual reality. Virtual social support has the ability to enhance feelings of social connection and can have stress-buffering effects when used consistently. While social and structural inequalities may limit an individual’s accessibility to in-person social networks, virtual social support may offer benefits to those who need it most.