Topic

The Proteus Effect: How Our Avatar Changes Online Behavior

http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/11/24/the-proteus-effect-how-our-avatar-changes-online-behavior/

Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink

Replies

  • Good article. This is an effect I've dealt with personally and I came to feel that I would carry myself differently in person than I would online. I realized that being "behind a computer" made it easier for me to be confident.

    Ultimately I learned to develop that confidence in person so now my actual face-to-face persona matches what you would find online. I am just as outspoken, verbose and bitchy in person now. :P
    Posted 18 months ago by Cerulean Subscriber! | Permalink
  • i thought part of it was particularly relevant in lieu of the "hot or not" thread.

    "Across different behavioral measures and different representational manipulations, we observed the effect of an altered self-representation on behavior. Participants who had more attractive avatars exhibited increased self-disclosure and were more willing to approach opposite-gendered strangers after less than 1 minute of exposure to their altered avatar. In other words, the attractiveness of their avatars impacted how intimate participants were willing to be with a stranger."

    also the bit about the effects of avatar height in negotiation tasks.

    all glitch avatars are the same height, and i think the study was mostly looking at 3D avatars .. but what about the potential of really tall hats? : ]
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @Cerulean Darlin -- and that is why I <3 <3 <3 you !!  Verbosity? Check. Outspoken? Moi?!?   Bitchy? I make bitchy look good. :D :D :D

    But....back on topic. It's interesting to read. Thinking through my different avatars, I usually represent fairly close to my real self when possible. I do whimsical things like I do in real life, but I am who I am. 

    That said, roll play - whether online or in person - it can definitely help individuals learn confidence and other personal and professional growth areas.
    Posted 18 months ago by g33kgurrl Subscriber! | Permalink
  • another less interesting post from the same site ..

    http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2009/05/19/avatar-customization-increases-feelings-of-presence/
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @striatic: I think hats affect how people behave and how others perceive them, whether it's on an avatar or a real person. Just think about Napoleon Bonaparte. Military leader, confident, maybe arrogant, perhaps a little on the short side but still relentless. Now imagine him without his bicorne. I think hats can have just as much of an impact on social behaviour as one's stature, since hats modify the appearance of the head, and the head and face is the first place most people look at to get a good look at a person.

    When the protagonist is a fully-formed and realised character then I play to root for the character, but when it's me then I have to admit that how my avatar looks has affects how I act in a game. It's not that I look at my character and think, "He looks like this, so he wouldn't do this," but "I look like this, so I wouldn't do this." Yeah, yeah, call me multifaceted, and you... would probably be right, haha. But I think the bigger question is why people customise their characters the way they do in various games and various situations within those games.
    Posted 18 months ago by Liridona Subscriber! | Permalink
  • @liridona - thank you for the thoughtful comments.

    regarding the hats, i agree, although in glitch a bicorne would come off humourously and would be far from intimidating. in glitch, i think the most intimidating hats are the mouse masks, oddly enough.

    i associate with my avatar a bit differently. i make the avatar appearance match my personality instead of attuning my personality to the avatar.

    re. situations .. my personality is so stagnant that i don't customize much for that reason, but i suppose i do have a mining helmet that i'll wear when mining. does that count? : ]
    Posted 18 months ago by striatic Subscriber! | Permalink
  • V. interesting article, stri.  Thanks for posting!
    And I think a bicorne would be awesome.
    Posted 18 months ago by Lelu Subscriber! | Permalink