Peña, McGlone, & Sanchez (2012) - The cowl makes the monk: How avatar appearance and role labels affect cognition in virtual worlds (original) (raw)

Peña, Hancock, & Merola (2009) - The priming effects of avatars in virtual settings

Communication Research, 2009

The study extends research on the Proteus effect by demonstrating that avatars can prime negative attitudes and cognition in desktop virtual settings. Experiment 1 shows that, after virtual group discussions, participants using black-cloaked avatars developed more aggressive intentions and attitudes but less group cohesion than those using white-cloaked avatars. In Experiment 2, individual participants using a Ku Klux Klan (KKK)-associated avatar created more aggressive Thematic Apperception Test stories in comparison to a control group. Participants using the KKK avatar also wrote less affiliative stories in comparison to those employing avatars dressed as doctors. Overall, the resulting pattern of activation of negative thoughts (i.e., aggression) coupled with the inhibition of inconsistent thoughts (i.e., cohesion, affiliation) is consistent with principles of current priming models and provides initial evidence for automatic cognitive priming in virtual settings. Downloaded from Peña et al.

A frame effect in Avatar Customization: how users' attitudes towards their avatars may change depending on virtual context

The sense of " being there " that Virtual Reality/Worlds may promote in users depends on multiple factors, one being the relationship between users and the digital figures representing their agency/identity in the simulation (i.e., avatars). Avatars offer innovative resources for psychological assessment, such as clues about users' self-conception. However, avatar customization may vary depending on the Virtual World context it has to enter. We hypothesize that users may have different attitudes towards avatars created for different contexts; feel more or less represented by different avatars; and that such difference may be influenced by sex, self-esteem (evaluation of one's own self) and self-curiosity (disposition/interest to increase knowledge about one's own inner world). 87 students (45 females) created two avatars to be used in two different virtual contexts (i.e., Leisure vs. Job) and then responded to questions regarding attitudes towards both their own avatars, namely Similarity to Self, to Ideal Self, Attractiveness, and Difficulty in Customization. Moreover, they filled in validated questionnaires on self-esteem (Rosenberg Self-Esteem Scale) and self-curiosity (Self-Curiosity Attitude-Interest Scale). Results showed that Leisure-avatars were perceived easier to customize and more similar to self than Job-avatars. Analysis involving sex as another variable showed that this difference emerged in females specifically. Moreover, Leisure-avatars were also perceived more similar to ideal self than Job-avatars when controlling for self-curiosity. Discussion deals with implications for avatar assessment, in that attitudes towards avatars can be influenced by the virtual context, and by individual characteristics such as one's own disposition to understand him or herself.

Peña (2011) - Integrating the Influence of Perceiving and Operating Avatars Under the Automaticity Model of Priming Effects

Communication Theory, 2011

Recent studies have demonstrated how the use of avatars influences perception and behavior in virtual environments. However, the contributions of this research remain scattered as different studies use different theories. This article argues that automatic priming processes are a more parsimonious account for these effects. This perspective assumes that individuals are unconsciously influenced by what they observe. Therefore, avatar features (e.g., dark uniforms) will activate related associations stored in memory (e.g., aggressiveness). These associations will guide subsequent perceptions and behaviors. The article discusses initial support for these assumptions and distills priming insights into concrete propositions. This article also identifies the previous theoretical groupings connected to the effects of perceiving and operating avatars and contrasts their assumptions against the automaticity perspective.

The Priming Effects of Avatars in Virtual Settings

Communication Research, 2009

The study extends research on the Proteus effect by demonstrating that avatars can prime negative attitudes and cognition in desktop virtual settings. Experiment 1 shows that, after virtual group discussions, participants using black-cloaked avatars developed more aggressive intentions and attitudes but less group cohesion than those using white-cloaked avatars. In Experiment 2, individual participants using a Ku Klux Klan (KKK)-associated avatar created more aggressive Thematic Apperception Test stories in comparison to a control group. Participants using the KKK avatar also wrote less affiliative stories in comparison to those employing avatars dressed as doctors. Overall, the resulting pattern of activation of negative thoughts (i.e., aggression) coupled with the inhibition of inconsistent thoughts (i.e., cohesion, affiliation) is consistent with principles of current priming models and provides initial evidence for automatic cognitive priming in virtual settings.

Marketing to Avatars : The Impact of Virtual Embodiment on Self-Concept and Behavior ‖

2011

We investigate differences in recognition accuracy of visual vs. text content presented in two contexts – virtual world (imagery processing) vs. Web browser (discursive processing). In three studies, one completed and two planned, we address the conditions under which a match or mismatch between content and context improves recognition accuracy. LONG ABSTRACT Virtual worlds such as Second Life, There.com and Blue Mars are three-dimensional, visually compelling, interactive environments inhabited by avatar representations of real world consumers. Such virtual worlds are beginning to be leveraged as platforms for consumer and marketing research (Novak 2010). An important question is the degree to which behavior occurring within virtual worlds is unique and different from behavior occurring outside the context of virtual worlds. For example, Bell, Castronova and Wagner (2009) have argued that research studies fielded within the context of a virtual world, rather than in an external con...

Avatars as information: Perception of consumers based on their avatars in virtual worlds

Psychology & Marketing, 2010

The presence of consumers and companies in the virtual worlds has increased in recent years. It is predicted that 80% of active Internet consumers and Fortune 500 companies will have an avatar or presence in a virtual community, including social networks, by the end of 2011 (eMarketer, 2007). The increase in the number of consumers with avatars emphasizes the need for a better understanding of who these consumers behind the avatars really are in order to convert these individuals to online and real-world customers. The objective of this paper is to investigate how avatars reflect the personality of their creators (targets) in virtual worlds. Using the Brunswik Lens Model as the theoretical framework, an investigation of real consumers in the virtual world Second Life reveals that perceivers who view targets' avatar use particular thin-slices of observations such as avatar cues (e.g., attractiveness, gender, hairstyle) to form accurate personality impressions about targets. The findings support the premise that real-life companies that intend to expand to virtual worlds can use member avatars as a proxy for member personality and lifestyles. As a future research direction, avatars and other consumer-generated media could be used as the basis for targeting and segmentation of online consumers. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Choosing My Avatar & the Psychology of Virtual Worlds: What Matters?

Avatars and virtual worlds have become commonplace across the Internet in recent years through the development of the gaming industry and social media technology. The technology involved in virtual environments is becoming more accessible to the general public, and software for creating avatars or participating in virtual worlds can be found free online. Virtual worlds are used not only for recreation, but are also increasingly used for other purposes, such as education, marketing, and meeting places. We are finding new ways to represent ourselves online for various purposes. Recent research in psychology has shown that social phenomena in virtual worlds are comparable to real life experiences. For example, interpersonal distance and eye gaze are demonstrated in interactions with avatars in a manner similar to human interactions in the real world . These experiences occur when individuals feel embodied by their avatar, or consider their avatar as an extension of themselves manifested in a particular virtual world. When utilizing this technology, an individual's motivations and intentions may affect the appearance of the avatars they choose to represent themselves. In this study, we are examining the relationships between background attributes of virtual world users and the nature of the avatars used for self-representation in a specific virtual social context. We surveyed a sample population of college students on personality, use of communication technologies and social media, and gaming experience. Then, we presented those students with an array of pre-selected avatar choices for them to choose for representation in different virtual social situations. We intend to analyze whether the surveyed attributes of participants influence avatar embodiment and whether social context affects their choice of preferred avatars. By better understanding how participants select avatars and how avatars affect the virtual world experience, we hope to discover ways to better use virtual world technology for education and positive social connections.

Reflections of the extended self: Visual self-representation in avatar-mediated environments

Journal of Business Research, 2019

We examine the relationship between avatars in virtual environments and the people they represent. We find that people (balancing the motives of self-verification and self-enhancement) design their avatars to be similar to their real selves, but with some enhancements that are more attractive. In particular, users most enhance on physical attributes that they perceive to be weak in real life. We also find that avatar attractiveness affects online behavioral traits such as extroversion and loudness. Lastly, we find support for a hierarchy of physical variation across online roles whereby people retain core identity elements (such as gender and race) across all their avatars, but they change peripheral elements (such as hair and clothing, and even face). We conclude by discussing implications of our findings for business and society.

How avatars help enhancing self-image congruence

International Journal of Internet Marketing and Advertising

Most users prefer to use avatars to escape from the real-world difficulties and to create their virtual worlds in where they feel more free and controllable. In this sense, virtual worlds reflect the expected personality traits. In parallel, this study focuses on consumers and their avatar using behaviours across self-image congruence theory by examining the congruence among avatars, participants' personality traits, and product-related self-image. This study analyses the responses of 403 individuals collected by an online questionnaire. The study results highlight that male avatars are more attractive than female and anthropomorphic avatars, and consumers mostly prefer male avatars even their genders are female. This study contributes to a better theoretical understanding of consumers' avatar using behaviours from the standpoint of self-image

Changing Avatars, Changing Selves? The Influence of Social and Contextual Expectations on Digital Rendition of Identity

Cyberpsychology, Behavior, & Social Networking, 2017

Avatar creation is an interesting topic for both video game and social network studies. Research has shown that the creation of avatars is influenced by individual, contextual, and cultural features. Avatars are used to represent aspects of users' personality, but multiple avatars are used in different virtual contexts, as self-presentation strategies may vary according to the different ''audiences'' to be met online (say: friends, or strangers). Moreover, avatar creation is also influenced by cultural variables, such as gender, as avatars embody stereotypical aspects of being a woman or a man. This research tested whether avatars, as digital self-representations, may change depending on the above-mentioned variables. Ninety-four participants created two avatars to be used in different contexts (video game and job-themed social network). Moreover, two groups of participants were told that they would have met friends or total strangers within the two virtual contexts. Results showed that avatars changed from the game to the job context. Changes involved avatars' transient features (Clothes) more than physical (Body) and symbolic (Accessories) ones, and females changed accessories more than males. Moreover, females who expected to meet friends changed their avatars' bodies significantly more than males in both virtual contexts. The findings are discussed based on literature about computer-mediated communication and online self-disclosure. In conclusion, possible implications of the results for avatar-based interventions and the field of video games and social network design are reviewed.