Virtual Reality (VR) has the potential to impact human minds and bodies more than any previous technology. Researchers have unsuccessfully attempted three definitions of VR. The first, a definition by technological architecture, focuses on the different types of systems that have been developed. The second, a definition by human architecture, proposes that VR consists of psychological phenomena that users experience such as immersion and presence. The third, a definition by language architecture, uses the popular metaphor of cyberspace as a location to describe the experience. Although each attempt falls short of delivering a complete definition of VR, expanding the parameters the VR metaphor holistically promises to extend research of this new technology. / The study of metaphorical language has progressed from previous reductionistic proposals that metaphors are merely a side effect of language, to current holistic approaches that suggest metaphors are central to human communication and understanding. Since changing a metaphor changes the concept, the choice of a VR metaphor is crucial. / Cyberspace has the potential to be both the greatest threat and the greatest achievement of human society. The current metaphor of cyberspace is incomplete, focusing only on the location. This thesis proposes to extend the cyberspatial metaphor to launch, destination, and re-entry in order to better conceptualize VR. Researchers can reexamine previously ignored human elements and attempt to understand how to safely send cybernauts from reality to cyberspace and back.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:LACETR/oai:collectionscanada.gc.ca:QMM.28269 |
| Date | January 1998 |
| Creators | Finkelstein, Adam B. A. |
| Contributors | Cartwright, Glenn F. (advisor) |
| Publisher | McGill University |
| Source Sets | Library and Archives Canada ETDs Repository / Centre d'archives des thèses électroniques de Bibliothèque et Archives Canada |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Electronic Thesis or Dissertation |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Coverage | Master of Arts (Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology.) |
| Rights | All items in eScholarship@McGill are protected by copyright with all rights reserved unless otherwise indicated. |
| Relation | alephsysno: 001642605, proquestno: MQ43864, Theses scanned by UMI/ProQuest. |
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