Join the Cyber Policy Center on January 14 from 1PM–2PM Pacific for What VR is Good For (And What it is Not) with Jeremy Bailenson, moderated by Jeff Hancock. Stanford affiliates are invited to join us at 12:40 PM for lunch, prior to the seminar.

Bailenson is the founding director of Stanford University’s Virtual Human Interaction Lab and has researched the psychology of virtual reality technologies for 25 years. During his talk, you will better understand when using virtual reality technology truly enhances an experience and when it should be avoided.   Bailenson will discuss the DICE framework when evaluating potential uses of virtual reality. DICE is a way to determine if VR makes sense because a real-world experience would be Dangerous, Impossible, Counterproductive, or Expensive (DICE). He will also discuss the historical successes and failures of VR, and provide guidelines on deploying a VR project effectively.

Jeremy Bailenson earned a B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1994 and a Ph.D. in cognitive psychology from Northwestern University in 1999. Bailenson studies the psychology of Virtual and Augmented Reality, in particular how virtual experiences lead to changes in perceptions of self and others. His lab builds and studies systems that allow people to meet in virtual space, and explores the changes in the nature of social interaction. His most recent research focuses on how virtual experiences can transform education, environmental conservation, empathy, and health. He is the recipient of the Dean’s Award for Distinguished Teaching at Stanford. In 2020, IEEE recognized his work with “The Virtual/Augmented Reality Technical Achievement Award.”