Article
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Preserved in Portico This version is not peer-reviewed
Factors Affecting Avatar Customization Behavior in Virtual Environments
Version 1
: Received: 29 April 2023 / Approved: 29 April 2023 / Online: 29 April 2023 (07:25:32 CEST)
A peer-reviewed article of this Preprint also exists.
Wu, S.; Xu, L.; Dai, Z.; Pan, Y. Factors Affecting Avatar Customization Behavior in Virtual Environments. Electronics 2023, 12, 2286. Wu, S.; Xu, L.; Dai, Z.; Pan, Y. Factors Affecting Avatar Customization Behavior in Virtual Environments. Electronics 2023, 12, 2286.
Abstract
Purpose: This study aims to analyze the factors that affect the behavior of user-defined avatars in different virtual environments, and compare the differences in public self-awareness, self-expression, and emotional expression among customized avatars in multiple virtual contexts. Methods: Using a between-subjects experimental design, two random groups of participants were asked to customize avatars for themselves in two contexts, a multiplayer online social game (MOSG) and a virtual meeting (VM). i.e. a relaxed and a serious social environment. Results: When subjects perceived a more relaxed environment, the customized avatars had less self-similarity, and the subjects exhibited a stronger self-disclosure willingness and enhanced avatar wishful identification; nevertheless, public self-consciousness was not increased. When subjects perceived a more serious environment, the customized avatars exhibited a higher degree of self-similarity, and the subjects exhibited a greater self-presentation willingness, along with enhanced identification of avatar similarity, and increased public self-consciousness. Conclusions: Participants expressed positive emotions, suggesting that avatars play a positive role in various virtual contexts. The virtual context affects the self-similarity of user-customized avatars, and avatar self-similarity affects self-presentation and self-disclosure willingness, and these factors will affect the behavior of the user-customized avatar. This study contributes suggestions to the Metaverse avatar customization platform design.
Keywords
Virtual environment; Avatar customization; Avatar self-similarity; Avatar identification; Public self-consciousness; Online self-expression; Emotional expression
Subject
Computer Science and Mathematics, Computer Networks and Communications
Copyright: This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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