Psychological aspects of communication in virtual reality Allahverdiyeva

Introduction . One of the most important conditions for the existence of society is communication. There is practically no society without communication. Communication is distinguished by a variety of forms and types: from random and anonymous exchanges of remarks in public transport to a sincere heart-to-heart talk with a loved one.

Communication can be classified according to various criteria. Here the main point that attracts attention is the historical change of communication, its manifestation in various forms and types at various stages of social development.

First, let us define what communication is. In a broad philosophical sense, communication has the following definition: "Communication is interaction (mostly direct) between people" (1,131). In the literature on psychology, communication is given a broader definition: "Communication is the interaction of two (or more) people, aimed at coordinating and combining their efforts with the goal of establishing relationships and achieving a common result" (2,502).

In modern psychology, three aspects of communication are distinguished – communicative, interactive and perspective. In this article, we are interested in the first aspect – communicativeness. Communicativeness is characterized as the exchange of information. Qualitative changes occurring during the exchange of information directly characterize the concept of an information revolution. According to A. Rustamov, “the information revolution in the field of information processing should be understood as a change in social relations as a result of fundamental changes” (3,11). In general, researchers note that in the history of mankind there have been five information revolutions : the emergence of language; writing; publishing books; telegraph, radio and television; creation of the computer. After each revolution, communication acquired a new form and content.

Considering that our main goal is to study the psychological aspects of communication carried out in virtual reality, its formation mainly through computer technologies, we will focus on communication occurring during the post-computer revolution.

Rapid changes in the world are changing the way people understand the world. Over the past 30-40 years, a new “post-non-classical” psychology has formed; new approaches have appeared in science, such as synergetics, ecology, etc.; information technologies have been created that facilitate the emergence of new professions and change many types of practical human activity.

The modern stage of scientific development is characterized by a turn to the study of complex, multidimensional objects. Such a turn became possible within the framework of joint activities in the field of several disciplines, combining many sciences and scientific directions, and aimed at studying complex objects. One of such complexes of scientific and theoretical disciplines was virtualistics, combining engineering, philosophical, psychological, cultural and other scientific directions. Virtualistics, which emerged in the 80-90s of the twentieth century, having set a number of important tasks for psychology, was engaged in solving numerous problems associated with virtual reality.

The concept of "virtual reality" can be considered in two aspects:

• 1.    A computer model of the real world or its imitation (this includes computer works of art, helmets, special glasses, simulators, etc.);

• 2.    The conditional environment of human life, where he makes and implements special decisions and satisfies his specific needs.

The concept of artificial reality was first introduced into scientific circulation in the late 1960s by the American computer artist Myron Krueger. He is considered a pioneer of research in the field of virtual reality. Polish writer, philosopher and science fiction writer Stanislav Lem used the term "phantom ology" in his fundamental work "Summa Technologia". In this work, the author seeks an answer to the question: "How to create a reality that for intelligent beings living in it would be no different from normal reality, but would obey other laws?"

The first virtual reality system was the Aspen Cinema Map, created in 1977 at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. This computer program simulated a walk through the city of Aspen. A more advanced model of virtual reality is the model created by Dan Sendeen, Tom de Fanti and Carolina Cruz-Nero, which is considered to be a standard in a sense today. They created a virtual cave called “The Cave” . In this cave, the viewer, putting on stereoscopic glasses, found himself in an artificial threedimensional reality. The illusion was so real that a person who found himself in this environment could even “touch” virtual objects (4).

Thus, virtual reality was primarily understood as electronic reality or a world reproduced by technical means. Such reality was transmitted to a person through certain sensations: sight, taste, smell, etc.

Currently, virtual reality technologies are used in design and engineering, mining, military technology, construction, marketing and advertising, and other areas of human activity. Today, the annual market volume of virtual technologies is $15 billion.

the psychological problems of virtual reality. In his book "Pilot Error: Psychological Causes" written in 1990, he studied the virtual mechanisms of pilot errors.

In general, in the traditional natural-scientific sense, reality "being the totality of the surrounding material world, is perceived by the senses and does not depend on our consciousness." That is, in this sense, reality is defined as objective reality. Consequently, computer-created "reality" is not included here. The problem is that virtuality has both a real (objective) and an illusory (imaginary) character. In this regard, the reality that actually exists is called natural reality, and the reality that exists in "consciousness" is called virtual reality.

It should be noted here that virtual reality is not only a product of the computer age. If we turn to the meaning of the word " virtual" (Latin virtualus - potential, possible), then all written literature can be called virtual. Any intention is a virtual reality. Thus, the project of any machine, the plan of the work to be performed is a virtual reality. We can say that real reality is the personification of virtual reality. Or rather, real reality is the personification of the product of consciousness. (5)

Today it is hardly possible to imagine human life without a computer. In modern society, informatization and computerization have acquired a more rapid character. Computers penetrate into all spheres of human life. Along with this, new technologies change human activity, influencing not only his behavior in certain spheres, but also his mental processes.

As a result of human communication with new information technologies (computers, software, new types of mass media, etc.), mediation of activity by new sign systems and means occurs. In modern psychological studies devoted to the negative consequences of computerization, new habits, specific actions, and individual mental processes are increasingly becoming the subject of research. As an example, we can cite the studies of M. Cole, S. Peipert, O.K. Tikhomirov. Along with, insufficient attention is paid to such problems as generalization, global changes in personality. Problems on this topic are studied more in theoretical terms; very few experimental studies are conducted. (6)

Despite the fact that virtual psychology is a new direction in psychology, it has gained wide popularity. This is due to the fact that many areas of our lives are directly connected with technical means, primarily with computers and the Internet. According to the definition of N.A. Nosov: "virtual psychology is a field of science that studies psychological virtual reality" (7,396)

In the “human-virtual reality” system, virtual psychology deals with the following problems:

• -    mental characteristics of a person in various virtual worlds and cybernetic spaces;

• -    stereotypes and rules regarding human activity, the interaction of objects

during this activity are determined by electronic information carriers;

• -    the psychological essence of this area of activity;

• -    human and social behavior at the intersection of psychology, philosophy, history, sociology, cybernetics and etiology.

Virtual psychology, based on general psychological methodological principles, applies psychological methodology and theory. The main philosophical idea of virtual psychology is polyonticity. According to polyonticity, the human psyche is considered as a set of different realities that do not flow into each other. We also note that the Internet is a virtual reality that seems to be the most real, a space where people live and which is impossible to imagine in isolation from people. The virtual world was created by man for man. People are the main criterion and value of this new world. Human activity on the Internet is largely social and is more associated with interpersonal communication (8). Social networks have become the main tool for people to communicate in the virtual reality of the Internet.

The 21st century has become the information age for humanity. Rapidly increasing and developing information technologies surround man and society everywhere. Traditional social and biological aspects of human and society life are being replaced by others. At the same time, various forms of social self-organization are gradually being replaced by the rules of a new society - the information society.

Despite the emergence of the Internet in the second half of the 20th century, the rate of its growth and development is astonishing. It took 38 years for radio to gather a 50 million audience, 13 years for television, and 4 years for the Internet. The main characteristic feature of modern society is the rapid development of the system of computer information and communication technologies and telecommunications. In recent years, this area, in particular the Internet, has seen a qualitative leap. It should be noted that the Internet is no longer a means of storing and transmitting an excessively large amount of information, but rather a new sphere of everyday reality and life for a large number of people. As a result, computer network users who spend a significant part of their time in virtual space have new interests, motives, goals, rules, and most importantly, psychological forms and social activity directly related to this new space.

A certain intermediary environment has emerged between man and the natural world. This intermediary environment gradually becomes an independent, self-sufficient reality, replacing the actual reality.

Technologically interpreted “virtual reality” loses its status as belonging to the sphere of technogenic phenomena and becomes “metaphorical reality”. This also allows “ to define the contours of the realities of the socio-philosophical, anthropological and cultural order that a person encounters in the era of Postmodernism ...” (9,4)

A contradiction arises between new and rapidly developing means communications and their impact on a wide audience, in particular on the main users of these means - youth. Today, for a number of reasons, the main audience of the Internet is young people receiving an education - students. Only after a comprehensive study of the influence of new forms of communication on the Internet on the psychology of young people - the subject of communicative relations, can we judge the nature of the further development of these forms.

Among network resources, the leading role is played by online social networks. Recently, communication between members of social networks in this mode, along with the functions of exchanging opinions and receiving information, has become an object and means of information management. In the near future, the importance of online social networks will inevitably become an important means of information influence, including a tool for manipulating an individual, a social group and society as a whole.

In general, what is a social network? The term "social network" was first used in 1954 by the "representative of the Manchester school", sociologist James Burns in his treatise "Classes and Meetings in a Norwegian Island Parish", which he included in the collection "Human Relations". Back in the 30s of the twentieth century, he developed an approach to studying human relationships using sociograms, or rather visual diagrams. According to this research method, individuals are shown in the figure as dots, and the relationships between them are shown as lines. Sociometry is a psychological method used to clarify relationships in a team. In the 70s of the twentieth century, a set of sociological and mathematical research methods was finally formed, which constitutes the scientific basis for the modern organization of social networks.

A social network is an interactive site with many users. Its content is made up of users who can provide specific information about an individual whose account (page) can be found by other users of the network (10,21). Social network – It is a social structure consisting of a group of nodes that include social groups and individuals.

A social network, being an online service, creates conditions for uniting people according to certain principles, allows them to communicate freely and express themselves. In other words, a social network is a union of people who meet according to certain interests. On the Internet, a social network is a kind of platform for interaction between people in a certain group.

The influence of social networks on communication and interaction between people is a controversial issue. On the one hand, social networks really facilitate the process of establishing connections, expand opportunities for new acquaintances, finding friends, and work. On the other hand, communication in social networks creates such problems as users' alienation from reality, avoiding communication with family. Instead, the user spends the lion's share of his time at the computer, which leads to a decrease in live communication.

In modern society, an individual is exposed to the influence of mass media more during adolescence. And this, in turn, contributes to the deformation of personal rules.

A number of researchers pay special attention to the negative aspects of social networks. In most cases, users in their personal accounts provide a lot of personal information, post their photos. This also creates a certain threat, namely, the information they provide in detail can later be used against them.

One of the most pressing problems is dependence on social networks. Dependence on interactive resources is stronger than dependence on computer games.

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Thus, in particular, young people waste a lot of time viewing the pages of their virtual friends, writing certain comments, and chatting online. Thus, dependence on a social network manifests itself in two forms: the user spends more time in the online space than outside it; if the main feelings (joy, excitement, sadness) are experienced by the user in the virtual space, then he has a desire to constantly be online, to follow the latest news. Consequently, communication on a social network, although not entirely, still replaces direct live communication.

It should also be noted that today there are more than a billion users registered in social networks worldwide and most of them cannot imagine their lives without them. At the same time, social networks are harmful to health, lead to mental disorders, destroy families, spoil careers and, finally, most importantly, contribute to the loss of time. All this is realized on a global scale.

Today, modern youth has a number of problems. One of the problems is the feeling of loneliness. As a result, young people try to expand their social circle. Computerization of society is the main factor in the formation of modern communicative consciousness. Thus, a real interlocutor is replaced by a virtual one. Ultimately, the popularity of both virtual communication and social networks is growing, which leads to an increase in negative cases among young people. It is from this point of view that there is a need to carry out work on educating teenagers and young people in both secondary and higher educational institutions.