Body-worn trackers enable real-time syncing between a user’s physical movements and their avatar’s movements in social VR. This novel form of avatar-mediated communication, combined with the customization of one’s virtual appearance, can make the experience of wearing avatars in social VR feel personal. One thread of my work has explored the unique, embodied, and psychological consequences of perceived avatar discrepancies in VR and how this process is racialized. Much of this work centers the experiences of Black Social VR users, a population that has historically had insufficient representation in virtual worlds. Through mixed-methods studies, we uncover how racialized, avatar-based inequities impact psychological and social experiences, offering new insights and design implications for more inclusive social VR environments

Journal Articles

DeVeaux, C., Han, E., Landay, J. A., & Bailenson, J. N. (2023). Exploring the Relationship Between Attribute Discrepancy and Avatar Embodiment in Immersive Social Virtual Reality. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking. (link)

Conference Papers

DeVeaux, C., Han, E., Landay, J.A. & Bailenson, J.N. (2023). A Presence of Absence: Understanding Disparities in Avatar Racial Representation and Embodiment in Social VR. 73rd Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA), Toronto, Canada, USA [Full Paper]

DeVeaux, C., Han, E., Hudson, Z., Egelman, J., Landay, J.A. & Bailenson, J.N. (June 12-16, 2025). “I am not the default”: Racialized Experiences of Avatar Embodiment and Customization Among Black Social VR Users. 75th Annual International Communication Association Conference (ICA), Denver, Colorado, USA [Full Paper]

Contributions to Edited Volumes

DeVeaux, C. (2024). Talk summarized as: "Black Virtuality." In H. Daniel & V. Gerald (Eds.), ADE for Games (pp. 175–178). Play Story Press. https://doi.org/10.17613/8ssws-rsy71. (Based on a talk given at ADE for Games Communities Workshop and Speaker Series 2023). (link)