NPR has a short video report on how social conventions, like keeping personal space, transfer into virtual worlds like Second Life.
The report focuses on the work of psychologist Nick Yee who we interviewed last November about his research into the social psychology of virtual worlds.
Yee and the NPR reporter go and field test some of his findings in Second Life, demonstrating that we use the same rules of social psychology taken from physical space to moderate online interactions.
As an aside, Yee’s has recently written a fascinating article on the psychology of how players develop superstitions in virtual worlds.
Link to NPR report with video and podcast.
Mind Hacks 