Third-Person Perspective in Virtual Spaces Promotes Consensus Building

Waseda University (Location: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; President: Aiji Tanaka), Tokyo City University (Location: Setagaya-ku, Tokyo; President: Tomoya Yashiro), TIS Inc. of the TIS INTEC Group (Headquarters: Shinjuku-ku, Tokyo; Representative Director and President: Yasushi Okamoto), Okayama University of Science (Location: Okayama City, Okayama Prefecture; President: Hiroyuki Hirano), and Shibaura Institute of Technology (Location: Koto-ku, Tokyo; President: Jun Yamada) announced that they have clarified the impact of discussions from a third-person perspective in virtual spaces on group decision-making through experiments comparing it with a first-person perspective. This study confirmed that a third-person perspective in virtual spaces improves the degree to which one's final opinion aligns with the group consensus and the ability to infer others' final opinions, leading to improved decision quality. It also found an increase in gestural behavior to regulate the flow of conversation and a decrease in conflict and emotional interdependence within the group. These results suggest that a third-person perspective in virtual spaces, while entailing some cost in the perception of emotional bonds, may guide groups towards smoother decision-making that facilitates consensus building. Going forward, the group aims to advance studies on the situational use of different perspectives, with an eye toward application in actual meetings, and to realize a communication environment that promotes better group decision-making. Background to the Verification When organizations or teams make decisions, it is important but not easy for each member to engage in discussions from an overarching perspective without being constrained by their own gains or values. Self-distancing (psychologically distancing oneself from oneself) is a mechanism for achieving such an overarching perspective, and its typical practical method is imagining observing one's own experience from a third-person perspective. A research group consisting of Professor Junko Ichino from the Faculty of Human Sciences at Waseda University, Mr. Masahiro Ide, Section Chief of the Technology Headquarters at TIS Inc., Professor Hitomi Yokoyama from the Faculty of Management at Okayama University of Science, Professor Hirotoshi Asano from the College of Systems Engineering and Science at Shibaura Institute of Technology, Professor Hideo Miyachi from the School of Media Science at Tokyo City University, and Professor Daisuke Okabe from the same school investigated the impact on group decision-making by comparing dialogue from a third-person perspective and a first-person perspective in an immersive virtual space. The results showed that, compared to the first-person perspective, the third-person perspective significantly influenced (1) decision quality (improved alignment of one's final opinion with group consensus, improved ability to infer others' final opinions), (2) communication behavior (increased gestural behavior to regulate conversation flow), and (3) participants' own perceptions (decreased intra-group conflict, decreased emotional interdependence within the group). These results indicate that a third-person perspective is suitable for situations prone to conflict but not suitable for situations where empathy is emphasized. The results of this research were presented and published on April 13, 2026, at CHI2026, a top international conference in the field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), titled "The ACM CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems (CHI) 2026" (Paper title: Effects of Embodied Self-Distancing in Virtual Environments on Group Decision-Making). Overview of the Verification 1. What Previous Research Had Shown The third-person perspective is a typical practical method of self-distancing (a concept proposed in psychology, meaning to psychologically distance oneself from oneself). It is known to have positive effects on emotional regulation, self-control, and behavioral change regarding past experiences. However, it is not easy to observe oneself from a third-person perspective during an ongoing experience. In contrast, in virtual spaces, users exist as avatars that they feel as if they were their own bodies, and since the user's viewpoint can be set to any position, it may be possible to easily observe oneself from a third-person perspective during an experience. While there has been much research applying the third-person perspective in virtual spaces, it has mainly focused on its impact on individual-level activities such as solo games or sports, and its impact on group-level activities such as group decision-making was largely unknown. 2. What Was Newly Attempted and What Was Found In this study, an experiment was conducted with 48 groups of three participants (144 people, aged 20-49) recruited from the general public. Participants used either a third-person perspective (viewpoint set diagonally behind and above their own avatar) or a first-person perspective (viewpoint set at the head of their own avatar) to discuss and make decisions on two different topics in groups of three (Figure 1). The impact on group decision-making was evaluated quantitatively and qualitatively using numerous items related to decision quality, communication behavior, and participants' own perceptions (questionnaires). Synthesizing the results of each item suggests that the third-person perspective is while . The following sections present the results related to these findings. 2.1 Results Indicating that the Third-Person Perspective is [Improved Ability to Infer Others' Final Opinions] After the discussion, each participant was asked to infer the final opinions (true feelings) of others regarding the consensus formed through the group discussion. The results showed that the ability to infer was significantly higher statistically in the third-person perspective condition than in the first-person perspective condition (Figure 2). This indicates that participants in the third-person perspective condition listened more attentively to others' opinions and remembered them better. [Reduction of Intra-Group Conflict] After the discussion, participants were asked about the extent of conflict they perceived within the group during the discussion, divided into relationship conflict (differences in values or interpersonal friction) and task conflict (differences of opinion). The results showed that both types of conflict were perceived as significantly lower statistically in the third-person perspective condition compared to the first-person perspective condition (Figure 3). This indicates that in the third-person perspective condition, conflict was suppressed, and discussions proceeded more cooperatively. Interview analysis showed a similar trend. Participants in the third-person perspective condition provided more comments related to seeking compromises and aligning opinions. In contrast, participants in the first-person perspective condition provided more comments about conflict. [Improved Alignment of One's Final Opinion with Group Consensus] After the discussion, each participant was asked whether their own final opinion (true feelings) aligned with the consensus formed through the group discussion. The results showed that the degree of alignment was significantly higher statistically in the third-person perspective condition than in the first-person perspective condition (Figure 4). This indicates that participants in the third-person perspective condition not only accepted the group consensus but genuinely agreed with it. These results suggest that a cognitive attitude of trying to understand others' opinions (improved ability to infer others' final opinions) leads to a reduction in conflict.