The Relational Costs of Asymmetric Mixed Reality Headset Use in Large Groups

Mixed reality (MR) technologies are increasingly used in classrooms, workplaces, and collaborative environments, yet little is known about how asymmetric headset use, that is, when some interactants wear headsets and others do not within the same group, shapes interpersonal perception. Guided by uncertainty reduction theory (URT), this study examined how headset use and familiarity jointly influence social presence, closeness, ostracism, and group interaction dynamics in face-to-face MR group collaboration. University students (N = 101) were assigned to groups of 9–10 participants to either wear a headset or not before engaging in a discussion task. Compared to participants with headsets, participants without headsets felt less close to and less present with headset-wearing partners. In contrast, headset wearers, who could see the other group members via passthrough video, did not exhibit parallel decreases. Behavioral analyses showed a crossover pattern in compromise behavior, where individuals who wore a headset compromised more in unfamiliar settings (i.e. where they rated group members less familiar) but those who did not wear a headset compromised more in familiar settings, suggesting that individuals adapt communication strategies to manage uncertainty in asymmetric MR environments. Overall, MR headsets selectively affected interpersonal connection and group dynamics.