This study investigates the influence of virtual humans on auditory selective attention within a virtual reality (VR) environment. Auditory selective attention is a well-established phenomenon that affects our ability to focus on specific sounds while filtering out distractions. Previous research has demonstrated that visual cues, such as seeing the talker’s face, can enhance listening abilities. However, the specific impact of virtual humans on auditory selective attention in VR has not been extensively explored. The hypothesis of this study posits that the presence of virtual agents in the VR environment, or fixed voice characteristics, would enhance auditory selective attention performance. To test this hypothesis, the experiment was conducted using a VR environment built in Unity, incorporating relevant plugins to enhance the functionality of virtual agents. Contrary to expectations, the obtained data did not provide sufficient evidence to support the hypothesis. The results did not demonstrate a significant improvement in auditory selective attention performance when virtual agents were visible or/and a fixed voice is attached to every position in the VR environment. While the results did not align with the initial expectations, some interaction effects are shown in the result. Further research is warranted to explore alternative factors and experimental conditions that may influence auditory selective attention in the context of virtual humans in VR.

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