The (not so) Secret Life of Avatars
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Transcript of The (not so) Secret Life of Avatars
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
THE (NOT SO) SECRET LIFE OF AVATARS
Interaction Lab(#ixlab)
ND BowmanOhio University6 October 2014
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
1954: BEFORE THE AVATARThe (Not So) Secret Life of Avatars
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PARA-SOCIAL INTERACTION
• Media provides the “illusion of face-to-face relationships with the performer”…
• …that is “one-sided, non-dialectical, and controlled by the performer” Walter Cronkite, the most
Trusted man in America.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PARA-SOCIAL INTERACTION
• The relationship can– Make content more
enjoyable– Let us explore new
relationships– Provide feelings of
importance, acceptance
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PARA-SOCIAL INTERACTION
• All social encounters involve a mindreading…
• …and these automated processes happen even with mediated encounters
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PARA-SOCIAL INTERACTION
• Mindreading leads to (a sense of) mutual awareness…
• …especially if mediated personae give off such cues!
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Avatar = • From Avatara • Graphical user
representations• Carriers of
meaning/agency• Mediators of
phenomenal gameplay
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
“Organic” Player
“Inorganic” Avatar
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPS
These relationships exist as headcanons, in the
mind of the player!
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Your wish is my command.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
THROUGH A POST-POSITIVIST LENS
• Concurrent validity with;– RPG play (3.96)– Fantasy (.46)– Diversion (.26)– Social interaction (.23)– Enjoyment (.23)– Time Played (.17)– Addiction (.37)
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Relationship ≈ • valenced connection• between two people• where each influences the other
Avatar
Dyad
Socialgroups
Game environment
Interface
Physical Environment
Culture
agents
Gender
THROUGH A CONSTRUCTIVIST LENS
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPSPlayer Agencies
• Avatars as functional tools
• Avatar as an extension of the self– Identity tourism– Trait personality – Moral decisions
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPSAvatar Agencies
• Avatars as relational partners with– Needs – Desires – Affordances
• Proteus Effect
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPS
Object Me Symbiote Other
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPS
• Bowen (1976) suggested that a key to empathy is distinguishing one from another
• Separation leads to “true” empathy, without ego block
Object Me Symbiote Other
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Character Bits SocialBits
V.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
THE BATTLE ROYALE …
Character Attachment
• Identification(pretending, being, affinity)
• Suspension of disbelief(error, plausibility)
• Control(‘obedience,’ frustration)
• Care/responsibility(wants, needs, interests)
PAR Sociality
• Anthropomorphic autonomy(thoughts, feelings, life)
• Emotional investment(love, appreciation, loss)
• Companionship(friends, understanding, reciprocation)
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
Avatar as Object Avatar a Me Avatar as Symbiote
Avatar as Other
Identification(I am that avatar)
LowMy avatar is a digital form.
HighMy avatar is me in
digital form.
MidMy avatar is a part
of me.
LowMy avatar is its
own being.
Suspension of Disbelief(Accepts Digital World as a Real One)
LowThe environment is
a space of competition.
MidI appropriate the
world to fit my own view of it.
MidI am able to visit my
avatar’s world.
HighMy avatar lives in a digital world with
its own norms.
Sense of Control(Physical)
HighMy avatar is a tool for mastery of in-game challenges.
MidMy avatar is my
social surrogate to accomplish my
social play goals.
MidMy avatar and I use
each other to accomplish
negotiated goals.
LowI am a tool for my avatar; it tells me
how to control it to accomplish its
goals. Sense of Care & Responsibility(Affective)
LowMy avatar has no
needs.
MidMy avatar is me – it needs what I need.
MidMy avatar and I
know each other’s needs.
HighI help my avatar get the things it
needs.
Table 1. A typology of Player-Avatar Relationships (PAR), from Banks and Bowman (2013).
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
SocialPara-social
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
EFA ~ THE BEAUTY PAGEANT• Emotional Investment
– ~24% variance• Anthropomorphic autonomy
– ~20% variance• Suspension of disbelief
– ~17% variance• Sense of control
– ~12% variance
~72%
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
CFA ~ THE TALENT SHOW
CMIN/df = 1.27, p = .076CFI = .989RMSEA = .036
*Correlations shown are significant at the p < .001 level or greater.
.42
.44.32
-.45
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
INTEGRATED MODEL …
• Emotional Investment (from PAR)love, loss, appreciation
• Suspension of Disbelief (from CA, adjusted)error, plausibility
• Player Control (from CA)‘obedience,’ control
• Avatar Anthro-Autonomy (from PAR)(life, feelings, thoughts)
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
PLAYER-AVATAR RELATIONSHIPSAvatar as
Objectn = 267
Avatar as Me
n = 88
Avatar as Symbiote
n = 95
Avatar as Othern = 44
Emotional Investment
4.02a (1.57)
5.72b (1.12)
6.20c (.783)
5.45b (1.26)
Anthromorphism-Autonomy
1.36a (.745)
1.89b (1.32)
3.30c (1.67)
3.37c (1.64)
Suspension of Disbelief
3.33a 1.75)
4.53b (1.72)
5.06b (1.56)
4.54b (1.86)
Control 6.26b,c (.965)
6.44c (.825)
5.85a,b (1.27)
5.83a (1.20)
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
• Human-like relatedness
F (4,385) = 64.49, p < .001, R2 = 401 (Adj. R2 = .395)Durbin-Watson = 1.94
VALIDATIONS …
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
VALIDATIONS …
• Play motivations
• Immersion: F(4,488) = 34.76, p < .001, R2 = .222 (Adj. R2 = .215), DW = 1.93
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
BONUS: PLAYER-AVATAR RELATION SCALE• Emotional Investment
– This avatar is very special to me.– I appreciate this avatar.– I would be heartbroken if I lost this avatar.– I love this avatar.– (R) I don’t really care about this avatar.– (R) I have no emotional connection to this
avatar.
• Player Control– This avatar does what I want.– I control this avatar.
• Avatar Autonomy
– When I log out of the game, this avatar has its own life.
– This avatar has its own feelings.– This avatar has its own thoughts and
ideas.
• Suspension of Disbelief– I concentrate on inconsistencies in this
avatar's story and the game story.– It is important to check for
inconsistencies in this avatar's game.– I pay attention to errors or contradictions
in this avatar's world.
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
FOR MORE INFORMATION
Nick Bowman, Ph.D. [CV]Twitter (@bowmanspartan)Skype (nicholasdbowman)[email protected]
Interaction Lab (#ixlab)
http://comm.wvu.edu/fs/research/lab
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES
WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITYDEPARTMENT OF COMMUNICATION STUDIES