FROM 3DWEB TO METAVERSE: TOWARD THE FUTURE OF RETAILING

This thesis explores the impact of emerging technologies, specifically 3D web environments, avatars, and virtual agents, on human behavior in digital retail and art exhibition contexts. Using three experimental studies within Digital Experimental Virtual Environments (DEVE), the research examines how these technologies shape consumer behavior and interest in virtual spaces. Study 1 investigates digital showrooms in 3D web environments, revealing that while technological innovations allow for new forms of product interaction, limitations in user control limited user engagement. Study 2 investigates social conformity in a virtual environment, demonstrating that programmed agents can influence consumer decisions. Study 3 focuses on avatar embodiment and interest in a virtual art exhibition, showing that the presence of programmed agents increased user dwell time, but the manipulation of their behavior was not sufficient to impact interest in the artworks. Across the studies, behavioral measures such as time spent in exhibitions and proximity to artworks were analyzed, offering novel, objective assessment of user interest. This research contributes to the literature on virtual environments by advancing methodologies for measuring behavioral indicators of interest, utilizing digital experimental virtual platforms (DEVEs) to explore the influence of programmed agents on user behavior and decision-making. Future research should aim to refine behavioral measurement techniques in virtual environments, address technological limitations, and further explore how avatars and virtual agents shape user experience in digital contexts.