Can Avatars Perform as Electronic Transitional Objects?

Abstract

Is there a connection between a furry teddy bear and a virtual reality avatar? Strangely, they may display similar properties in their relationships to children as they develop and grow. Winnicott's seminal psychoanalytical theory (1971) attributed significant emotional value to early childhood transitional objects, such as soft toys, because of their unique role in helping toddlers gain independence from caregivers. Recently, Turkle (2007) extended the concept of transitional objects to computers inasmuch as they offer some illusion of control through the repetitive nature of users' actions. This article extends Turkle's idea, suggesting that virtual objects such as avatars can act as transitional objects in the educational context and that when the transition is successful, the student is facilitated in furthering his or her learning goals. Whilst early transitional objects help us shift from babyhood to childhood, electronic transitional objects such as avatars may help us a bit later in life, develop ...