Seeing Is Believing: Using the Rhetoric of Virtual Reality to Persuade

Abstract

Virtual reality, media at its most vivid, is entering our lives and changing how we think and act through specific rhetorical techniques. This “virtual rhetoric” can be observed through experiments using head-mounted displays and position tracking systems to create persuasive and immersive virtual worlds. Through empirical, experiential, and theoretical lenses, this article describes the rhetorical mechanisms often present in virtual reality and urges the importance of understanding the subtle emotional and often manipulative aspects of virtual rhetoric.