Qualitative research in the metaverse,a primer

Abstract

New technology can be a source of great optimism and a force for positive change in the research industry. As such, it is important to discuss the merits of emerging technology. In this research note, the emergent opportunity for qualitative research in the metaverse is discussed. This paper looks at how rich sensory virtual environments with multiple sensory modalities might help address some of the shortcomings of traditional online qualitative research. The importance of establishing social presence in virtual qualitative research is addressed. Then, how the metaverse might help remove some of the constraints of ‘big qual’ is debated. The potential for the metaverse to improve participant inclusivity is considered, before finally discussing the issue of research ethics in a decentralised virtual world.

New technology in market research, a force for good

The market research industry is quick to embrace new technologies, whether that be advances in data mining, social media analytics, or the emergence of online ethnography, to name but a few. According to last year’s ESOMAR Global Research Report, the tech-enabled sector was the fastest growing area of the industry globally, at +18.9% (ESOMAR, 2022). Arguably, new technology can be a source of great optimism and a force for positive change in the research industry. As such, it is important to discuss the merits of emerging technology. Currently, the debate about the risks and rewards of generative artificial intelligence (AI) dominates industry discourse. Whilst this debate continues unabated, it is worth contemplating the role of AI in the metaverse. AI will be the engine that powers the metaverse, where deep learning algorithms (machine learning using neural networks) and computer vision (programs that process visual data in a meaningful way) will create immersive virtual realities that are rich in detail and engaging.

Against the above backdrop, the purpose of this research note is to contemplate the emergent opportunity for the market research industry in this new immersive virtual world. This paper opens by considering a working definition of the metaverse. Following this, ways in which the industry can harness the power of the metaverse in developing qualitative virtual research tools and techniques is discussed. Specifically, this paper looks at how rich sensory virtual environments with multiple sensory modalities might help address some of the shortcomings of traditional online qualitative research. Next, the importance of establishing social presence in virtual qualitative research is addressed. Then, how the metaverse might help remove some of the constraints of ‘big qual’ is debated. The potential for the metaverse to improve participant inclusivity is considered, before finally discussing the issue of research ethics in a decentralised virtual world.

The metaverse, towards a working definition

Before considering the likely application of the metaverse in qualitative research there is merit in defining what we mean by the metaverse. As with any developing technology, it is difficult to pin down an exact definition (Tlili et al., 2022). That said, at its simplest the metaverse is ‘the internet in 3D’. Specifically, the metaverse is a set of digitally interconnected communities, where people can interact in virtual reality (an artificial and digitally mediated environment, or illusion of reality), augmented reality (embeds digital visual content in the physical environment, to enhance it) and mixed realities (a combination of virtual and augmented reality).

The metaverse, becoming part of our lexicon of language

The notion of a metaverse was first envisaged over 30 years ago, by Neal Stephenson, in the science fiction novel Snow Crash (Stephenson, 1992). In Stephenson’s novel, people move between a dystopic world and the metaverse, an urban environment consisting of a virtual neon-lit high street, where digital avatars interact with each other. Fast forward to 2021, Mark Zuckerburg, CEO of Facebook, announced that Facebook would invest 10 billion US Dollars in developing a metaverse, along with rebranding Facebook to Meta. Apple, Alphabet, and Microsoft are making similar investments in developing their own metaverses. As such, the metaverse has become firmly embedded in our lexicon of language. These metaverses might be better understood as different virtual worlds where the sum of these worlds will eventually constitute a singular ‘metaverse’ (Parisi, 2021). In principle, we will be able to live, work and play in the metaverse by moving between different virtual worlds.

Nevertheless, some have argued that the metaverse is little more than an expensive gimmick. Indeed, recent media coverage has suggested that the metaverse is already ‘dead’ (Bajarin, 2023). Whilst this claim is greatly exaggerated, Meta’s Horizon Worlds, a virtual reality world where people can move between different settings, has proved to be disappointing with poor graphics and settings devoid of people (Knight, 2023). Nonetheless, it seems that Stephenson’s vision of the metaverse is beginning to take shape. With the likes of Apple investing in virtual reality hardware, the virtual transition to other spheres of life seems inevitable. Indeed, Gartner (2022), predicted that by 2026, 25% of people will spend at least 1 hour per day in the metaverse. Notwithstanding the hyperbole, the impact on the market research industry will likely be significant, not dissimilar to the emergence of ‘internet research’ on the industry over 30 years ago (Pincott & Branthwaite, 2000). To this end, we discuss ways in which the market research industry can capitalise upon this nascent opportunity below.

Harnessing the power of the metaverse in qualitative research

Perhaps the most obvious opportunity is in the porting of online qualitative research skills and practices to the virtual world. The global pandemic accelerated the adoption of online qualitative techniques, such as focus groups, in-depth interviews, video journals, blogs and communities. Online qualitative techniques are agile, where researchers can almost instantly access the views of an online population. Moreover, online qualitative techniques have helped improve accessibility of difficult to reach audiences and ensure that research is based on a diverse and inclusive population.

Notwithstanding the above, there are a few drawbacks to online qualitative research. First and foremost, we must address the phenomenon of ‘Zoom fatigue’, which has come to mean a disassociation with digital platforms such as Zoom and MS Teams, resulting in poor participation and high dropout rates (Mystakidis, 2022). Whether Zoom/MS Teams or a propriety platform, there can be a lack of personalisation, where participant representations of self are limited to a video cam or photo head shots. There can also be limited interactions amongst participants without prompts from a moderator (albeit, the use of collaborative exercises, such as blogs and chat rooms can help in this regard). Online qualitative research results in high cognitive load, in the physical world we naturally read non-verbal communication (and are largely unaware we are doing it), in the virtual world the opposite is true, we struggle to read non-verbal communication and thus it takes considerable effort (Bailenson, 2021). At least in part, this is due to fewer non-verbal cues being available than would be the case in the physical world (Walther et al., 2015). Further, with online qualitative research we are expected to behave in a way normally associated with close relationships, such as maintaining eye contact for long periods of time.

In the following discussion, we will consider how the metaverse might help address some of the shortcomings of online qualitative research.

Designing rich sensory qualitative research environments

Although no panacea, creating rich sensory virtual environments can help to address some of issues of engagement in online qualitative research. Evidence from gaming research suggests that to create an immersive virtual qualitative research experience there is a need for sensory environments that include multiple sensory modalities, namely, sound, sight and touch (Cummings & Bailenson, 2016; Slater & Wilbur, 1997). Perhaps unsurprisingly, the more sensory modalities that are activated in the user, the more likely they are to feel fully engaged in the digital world (Wirth et al., 2007). Further, studies into sensory rich environments suggest that they are key to improved recall and facilitating problem solving (Medina, 2008). Rich sensory virtual environments lend themselves well to product testing. For example, those in automotive research will attest to the sheer expense and time involved in researching a new car prior to launch. Naturally, driving a car is a very physical experience, the feel of the steering wheel and the support of the seat are all integral parts of the driving experience. Arguably, these sensations could be designed into a virtual simulation. Whereby, real-time rendering would allow participants to fully interact with the vehicle and even drive it in different settings. Importantly, based on participant response, engineers would be able to make changes to the car design in real time. On a cautionary note, sensory rich environments can be overwhelming. For example, with augmented reality, there are issues of temporary reality distortion, where in a sensory rich environment users struggle to recall if their experiences occurred in the digital or physical world (Hadi et al., 2023). Clearly, research will need to be conducted to identify how to mitigate against reality distortion in market research settings.

Creating social presence in virtual qualitative research

As would be the case in the physical world, there is the need to create and maintain social presence, that is, perceived ‘realness’ and the extent to which an individual is seen as ‘present’ in a digital world (Gunawardena, 1995; Kreijns et al., 2022). As noted, online research representations of self are limited to video cam or photo head shots and thus perceived realness and presence are low. In the metaverse, representations of self are through digital identities in the form of digital avatars. Digital identities help create social presence. As noted, there are likely to be many virtual worlds that constitute a single metaverse, where interoperable networks will allow users to carry their digital identity from one virtual world to another. Unlike traditional online qualitative research, there is considerable scope for personalisation. Users can choose the physical characteristics, attire and personality traits of their digital avatar (Hackl et al., 2022). Ergo, an avatar is unlikely to be a genuine reflection of our true self in qualitative research. Generally, it is thought that we develop an avatar which is a presentation of our idealised self (Zimmermann et al., 2023). That said, the extent to which an avatar is different from our true self is more nuanced than first thought. At least physically, an avatar is mostly an approximation of our true selves, whether that be age, ethnicity or body shape. However, the most obvious difference between a user’s avatar and true self is not in physicality but in personality traits. Messinger et al. (2019) observed that we tend to create avatars that are like our true selves, with only minor changes to personality traits. Others have observed that we create more confident and outgoing personalities (Bessière et al., 2007; Ducheneaut et al., 2009; Gilbert et al., 2011). It seems that avatars are not radically different from our true selves but include a few embellishments as we attempt to present our idealised self. This might be a product of our inbuilt desire to present our true selves to others (Swan, 2012). It is thought that this helps to maintain our self-concept, that being, the beliefs we hold about ourselves and from others we interact with. The net result is that when developing an avatar in qualitative research, we will seek to balance our needs for self-verification with a desire for self-enhancement. Nonetheless, any differences between our physical and digital self will have implications in making sense of virtual qualitative research outcomes.

We must also consider how chatbots create social presence through an AI embodied avatar. In theory, a chatbot could moderate a group, conduct an in-depth interview or engage with a virtual community. Whilst clearly not human, it will be important that conversations with these chatbots are seen as natural. Here, ChatGPT will be instrumental in creating conversations that feel natural and help garner deeper and more meaningful responses. Schuetzler et al. (2020) observed that chatbots that were more skilled at conversations tended to be perceived as more socially present and anthropomorphic, than less skilled chatbots.

Supercharging big qual

The impact of the metaverse on big qualitative data (big qual) is likely to be significant. What constitutes big qual is debatable, but it is thought to be in the magnitude of 100 participants or more (Brower et al., 2019). Currently, big qual is expensive to conduct and consequently limited in scope. In theory, the metaverse will remove these constraints and help support large scale qualitative research. For example, take attitudes and behaviour in the sharing economy, cost and participant accessibility might restrict research to a cross sectional approach (where data is collected at a single point in time). By staging the research in the metaverse, there is the potential to conduct a longitudinal qualitative study and explore changes in attitudes and behaviour over time. Indeed, researchers can track behaviour by collecting biometric data from VR headsets and wearables, including gesturing, eye tracking and haptics. To put this in perspective, participant behaviour in the metaverse will result in millions of spatiotemporal data points per second. Making sense of this data will necessitate indexing and querying tools, powered by AI. As such, exploring and analyzing qualitative data at scale will demand a blend of qualitative and quantitative skills.

Improving inclusivity in a virtual world

The metaverse has the potential to improve inclusivity in qualitative research. Importantly, the metaverse is decentralised, whereby it is built and owned by its users. In theory, anyone who can afford a VR headset can enter the metaverse. Moreover, the metaverse might help to attract individuals that would typically avoid social settings, like a group discussion. For example, using support tools like Ovation and Floreo VR, neurodivergent participants can leverage their skills and knowledge, in ways that would not be possible in a face-to-face or in a Zoom/MS Teams video call (Hutson, 2022). For example, Floreo creates immersive virtual reality environments, to help improve social communication, naturally, a key skill to participating in qualitative research.

Addressing research ethics in a decentralised world

No conversation about qualitative research and the metaverse would be replete without considering the issue of ethics. As noted, the metaverse is decentralised and as a consequence has no/limited governance. It has been argued that users should be responsible for governance. However, this is complicated by a myriad of stakeholders, including, big corporates (such as Apple and Microsoft), open-source programmers, retail brands and individual users. From a qualitative research perspective, many of the data protection and privacy procedures that are in place to protect participants in the physical and online world will be applicable in the metaverse. Nonetheless, there could be moral and ethical issues in an AI powered/algorithm driven environment, where programmes might perpetuate bias and discrimination. Further, as AI derived chatbots become more realistic, it will be difficult to draw a distinction between a human avatar and an AI embodied avatar, which might result in the AI embodied avatar exerting undue influence on the user (Hadi et al., 2023).

In conclusion

In short, this research note has elucidated the possible opportunity for qualitative research in the metaverse. It has been argued that the immersive and personalised nature of the metaverse lends itself well to conducting qualitative research. Key to the success of qualitative research in the metaverse will be the creation of rich sensory environments and social presence mediated by digital avatars.

Whilst the metaverse is still not fully formed, the research industry will need to be mindful of the challenges this might bring. For example, there will likely be a need for digital literacy in designing research settings that are not simply facsimiles of the physical world but play to the strengths of the metaverse. Contiguously, research professionals will need to work ever more closely with data scientists to optimise the insight opportunity from what will be vast arrays of spatiotemporal data.

The metaverse is decentralised, whereby it is built and owned by its users. As such, the metaverse will be open to not only research professionals, but to those that are not necessarily schooled in the art of qualitative research in general and research in the metaverse specifically. Whilst this should not be seen as an impediment to progress, it does underline the importance of qualitative researchers engaging in dialogue to help shape what qualitative research might look like in a new virtual world.