In this talk, Eugene Ohu shared his fascination with technology and its intersection with psychology and his work at the Virtual Human Computer Interaction (VHCI) lab of the Lagos Business School, Nigeria, where he teaches and researches virtual reality (VR) technologies. He shared how he and his colleagues are exploring the use of immersive technologies like VR to induce behavior changes and promote learning. He also addressed specific applications they are exploring at the VHCI lab, such as teaching empathy and compassion using VR games, improving awareness and understanding of mental health conditions, and deploying immersive technologies at work and other life domains. The talk also addressed findings from their research on ergonomic and environmental factors affecting VR use.
Dr. Eugene Ohu is a senior lecturer in the Department of Organisational Behaviour/Human Resource Management at the Lagos Business School, Nigeria. His research interests are on the psychology of human-computer interactions in the workplace in order to promote individual wellbeing and organizational productivity. He is the director of the Virtual Human Computer Interactions Lab, where he explores the implications of employing immersive virtual worlds to improve character strengths, wellbeing and productivity. Ohu is the principal investigator in an ongoing Templeton World Charity Foundation project titled “Teaching Children Empathy and Compassion through Virtual Reality Games.”