An Experimental Examination of the Effects of the Invisible Human
Experience on Self-esteem
Authors: Ueda Kimi , Sasaki Maho , Noda Ayumi , Ishii Hirotake , Shimoda Hiroshi 
Published: July 2023

Moderate self-esteem is considered desirable from perspectives such as
leading to effective decision-making (Baumeister et al. 2003; Kirkpatrick
and Ellis 2003). One factor that can lead to low self-esteem is the
perceived large difference between the ideal self and the actual self-views
(Bills, Vance, and McLEAN 1951; Hannover, Birkner, and Pöhlmann 2006).
Therefore, we hypothesized that through an experience as if one had become
an “Invisible Human”, self-esteem reduction could be prevented by
diminishing one's existence and removing their awareness of comparing one's
ideal self with one's actual self-views. The purpose of this study is to
evaluate the impact of the Invisible Human experience of the invisible human
on self-esteem.In the experiment, participants experienced the Invisible
Human experience through Augmented Reality (AR). (1) the feeling of being an
invisible human, (2) the sense of one's physical self-presence, (3) the
self-evaluation consciousness, (4) the difference between the ideal self and
the real self, and (5) state self-esteem scale were evaluated through
questionnaires before and after the AR experience. In the experience, images
acquired using a camera attached to a head-mounted display (HMD) were
processed in real-time to create an image in which only the body of the
participants seems to have disappeared from the real view, which was then
presented on the HMD. Valid data obtained were N=24 (15 females and 9 males,
age 21.3²2.3 years).The results showed that Significant differences were
found in (1), (2), and (3) before and after the experience, which indicates
that the Invisible Man experience made participants feel more as if they
were invisible, their sense of self-presence decreased, and their
self-evaluation consciousness weakened. There was also a tendency for (4)
the difference between the ideal self and actual self-views to become
smaller. However, there was no significant difference in the (5) state
self-esteem scale. The impact of the Invisible Human experience might change
depending on the participants' usual level of self-esteem. If low
self-esteem can be high and high self-esteem can be low, then the Invisible
Human experience may work effectively to maintain their self-esteem to be
moderate. In future studies, more evaluations with a larger number of
participants are needed.Baumeister, Roy F., Jennifer D. Campbell, Joachim I.
Krueger, and Kathleen D. Vohs. 2003. “Does High Self-Esteem Cause Better
Performance, Interpersonal Success, Happiness, or Healthier Lifestyles?”
Psychological Science in the Public Interest: A Journal of the American
Psychological Society 4 (1): 1–44.Bills, R. E., E. L. Vance, and O. S.
McLEAN. 1951. “An Index of Adjustment and Values.” Journal of Consulting
Psychology 15 (3): 257–61.Hannover, Bettina, Norbert Birkner, and Claudia
Pöhlmann. 2006. “Ideal Selves and Self-Esteem in People with Independent or
Interdependent Self-Construal.” European Journal of Social Psychology 36
(1): 119–33.Kirkpatrick, Lee A., and Bruce J. Ellis. 2003. “An
Evolutionary-Psychological Approach to Self-Esteem: Multiple Domains and
Multiple Functions.” Blackwell Handbook of Social Psychology: Interpersonal
Processes, 409–36.