The Influence of the Avatar on Online Perceptions of Anthropomorphism, Androgyny, Credibility, Homophily and Attraction

• In Event: Perception, Attribution, and Communication Technology

Abstract

It has become increasingly common for websites and computer media to provide computer generated visual images, called avatars, to represent users and bots during online interactions of all types. This use of avatars has progressed with many assumptions but little empirical testing of how people perceive them. This project empirically tests how the participant’s gender and computer experience influence the perception of androgyny, anthropomorphism, credibility, homophily and attraction; it clarifies how specific characteristics of the images (gender; human, animal or object type; child or adult; presence or absence of torso; high or low quality of rendering) affect the perceptions on these same variables. Finally, it examines the relationship between anthropomorphism, androgyny, credibility, homophily and attraction. Participants (N=255) evaluated a series of online avatars in terms of their perception of its androgyny, anthropomorphism, credibility, homophily, attraction and the likelihood they would choose it to represent themselves on an interaction. Both practical and theoretical implications of these results for users and designers of avatars are discussed.

Authors

• Kristine L. Nowak, University of Connecticut

• Christian Rauh, University of Connecticut