Trust, Avatars, and Electronic Communications: Implications for E-Learning

Abstract

As pervasive as the use of avatars is in online communications, there exists little research on the influence of avatars on user trust in computer mediated communication environments. From a pedagogical perspective, this gap in the literature should be addressed because many e-learning environments utilize computer mediated communications tools as first-order mechanisms to support distance learning student-teacher interaction. In this study, we measured two dimensions of trust in order to assess whether or not there exists an affect from the uses of avatars on individual perceptions in computer mediated communications. Data analysis suggests that the use of avatars associated with trustworthiness affects trust development and in the perception of trustworthiness. The findings of this study are particularly important given the increasing rate at which many traditional educational activities are migrating to online environments and subsequently rely upon computer mediated communications as a principle means of student-teacher interface.