<s>
A	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
is	O
a	O
networked	O
application	O
that	O
allows	O
a	O
user	O
to	O
interact	O
with	O
both	O
the	O
computing	O
environment	O
and	O
the	O
work	O
of	O
other	O
users	O
.	O
</s>
<s>
Email	O
,	O
chat	B-Protocol
,	O
and	O
web-based	O
document	O
sharing	O
applications	O
are	O
all	O
examples	O
of	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
.	O
</s>
<s>
Once	O
the	O
fidelity	O
of	O
the	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
is	O
such	O
that	O
it	O
"	O
creates	O
a	O
psychological	O
state	O
in	O
which	O
the	O
individual	O
perceives	O
himself	O
or	O
herself	O
as	O
existing	O
within	O
the	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
"	O
(	O
Blascovich	O
,	O
2002	O
,	O
p	O
.	O
129	O
)	O
then	O
the	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environment	I-General_Concept
(	O
VE	O
)	O
has	O
progressed	O
into	O
the	O
realm	O
of	O
immersive	O
virtual	B-General_Concept
environments	I-General_Concept
(	O
IVEs	O
)	O
.	O
</s>
