Abstract

In this thesis it is investigated which external appearance of a virtual character is best suited to represent psychopathological disorders in a virtual environment. Characteristics of the character to be designed, which is specifically intended to simulate psychological disorders of children and adolescents, are identified by means of extensive literature research as well as analysis of already existing concepts in clinical diagnostics. After the identification, different concepts for virtual characters will be developed and implemented in a test environment in Unity. Finally, the developed models will be examined in a study by prospective physicians regarding their appearance and thus their credibility. The credibility includes aspects such as the generated mood, the effect on the user, empathy as well as feelings of the user towards the character.