User-Avatar Relationships in Various Contexts

Abstract

Avatars are in use when interacting in virtual environments in different contexts, in collaborative work, as well as in gaming and also in virtual meetings with friends. Therefore it is important to understand how the relationship between user and avatar works. In this study, an online survey is used to determine how the perception of an avatar changes in different contexts by relating it to existing avatar relationship typologies. Additionally, it is determined whether in each context a realistic, abstract or comic-like representation is preferred by the participants. One result was a preference of low poly representations in the work context, which are associated with the perception of the avatar as a tool. In the context of meeting friends, a realistic representation is perceived as more appropriate, which is perceived as an accurate self-representation. In the gaming context, the results are less clear, which can be attributed to different gaming preferences. Here, unlike in the other contexts, a comic-like representation is also perceived as appropriate, which is associated with the perception of the avatar as a friend. A symbiotic user-avatar relationship is not directly related to any form of representation, but always lies in the midfield, which is attributed to the fact that it represents a whole spectrum between other categories. CCS CONCEPTS• Human-centered computing → HCI theory, concepts and models.

Your money or your data: Avatar embodiment options in the identity economy

“…Nevertheless, this use case could predict the use of immersive VR that offers a high sense of experiential presence, and users might also desire, or at least tolerate, a highly consistent avatar when interacting with others who are already very familiar with the backstage versions of one’s physical body. This view is supported by recent work by Praetorius et al, (2021, p. 279), who surveyed users on their preference for avatar representation in different contexts, following Banks’, 2015 typology of avatars. They found that realistic avatars were ‘a realistic representation form…most likely to be associated with an Avatar-as-Me relationship…particularly relevant in the context of a meeting with friends.’…”