External presence in online communication and the impact of introducing proxy agents

The challenges of altruism in online communication have become apparent owing to factors such as camera on/off choices and the reduced sense of presence caused by the physical absence of interlocutors. To address this issue, it is important to instill a sense of being "observed" by the interlocutors. Using experimental economic games, we investigated whether altruistic behavior can be enhanced by inducing consciousness of being observed during a game. Significant differences were noted when participants were presented with pre-recorded videos when under observation. These results highlight the notion that, even in situations where others are not physically present, fostering the belief of being observed can facilitate altruistic behavior.