Virtual Background Authenticity and Its Impact on Social Presence in Online Learning

Stephanie Kelly North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University ; Jihyun Kim University of Central Florida

Abstract

This study examined how lecture background type influences student learning experiences in business and professional communication contexts. An online experiment was conducted with undergraduate students in the United States. Participants viewed a lecture on one-way interviews presented with either a digitally created background (university-branded PowerPoint slide) or authentic-appearing background (image of a physical office wall). The results revealed an indirect effect of lecture background type on students’ perceptions, mediated by the perceived social presence of the instructor: specifically, a lecture delivered with an authentic-appearing background fostered social presence, which in turn, enhanced students’ perceptions of the instructor’s credibility and their affective learning.

Journal
Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
Published
2026-04-08
DOI
10.1177/23294906261432111
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  1. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  2. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
  3. Business and Professional Communication Quarterly
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