On the Relationship between My Avatar and Myself

TLDR

Avatars are digital representations whose appearance and behavior may reflect or diverge from the real individuals they portray. The study tests whether users design avatars that resemble their real selves with modest enhancements, whether virtual‑world conduct is less inhibited than real‑world behavior, and whether more attractive avatars boost confidence and extraversion in virtual environments. Data were gathered from Second Life residents using an in‑world intercept method that sampled avatars from a representative set of locations. Results show users create avatars that are similar yet slightly more attractive, exhibit more outgoing and risk‑taking behavior online, and report higher confidence and extraversion when their avatars are more attractive than themselves, with qualitative responses supporting these patterns.

Abstract

What is the relationship between avatars and the people they represent in terms of appearance and behavior? In this paper, we hypothesize that people (balancing motives of self-verification and self-enhancement) customize the image of their avatars to bear similarity to their real selves, but with moderate enhancements. We also hypothesize that virtual-world behavior (due to deindividuation in computer-mediated communication environments) is less restrained by normal inhibitions than real-world behavior. Lastly, we hypothesize that people with more attractive avatars than their real selves will be somewhat more confident and extraverted in virtual worlds than they are in the real world. 
 We examine these issues using data collected from Second Life residents using an in-world intercept method that involved recruiting respondents’ avatars from a representative sample of locations. Our quantitative data indicate that, on average, people report making their avatars similar to themselves, but somewhat more attractive. And, compared to real-world behavior, respondents indicate that their virtual-world behavior is more outgoing and risk-taking and less thoughtful/more superficial. Finally, people with avatars more attractive than their real selves state that they are more outgoing, extraverted, risk-taking, and loud than their real selves (particularly if they reported being relatively low on these traits in the real world). Qualitative data from open-ended questions corroborate our hypotheses.