Female Avatars Research Articles

RETRACTED ARTICLE: How avatar gender may influence users’ intention to use the second life environment: an empirical study

The main aim of this survey is to analyze the user’s intention to use the second life environment based on the influence of avatar gender. The use of virtual environments to transform individuals’ modern technology usage has attracted special attention lately. The role of gender in virtual space has also been viewed as a contributor to modern technology use. This study examined the impact of avatar gender on users’ intention to use the second life (SL) environment in a university context. Two avatars of male and female characteristics were designed and used in a learning situation. A total of 74 SL users were involved in two learning sessions (with male–female avatars). A questionnaire was used to capture users’ perceptions of ease of use, attitude, usefulness, and behavioural intention to utilize the technology. SL users had positive intentions to use the environment for various learning purposes when provided with the preferred gender appearance. This study delivers insights into the dynamics of users’ learning behaviour when using male and female avatars in the SL environment. This study suggests that avatar gender can help stimulate users’ interaction with the activity, thus facilitating the learning process and building a sense of technology’s possibilities and limits.

Heterosexual, gay, and lesbian people\u2019s reactivity to virtual caresses on their embodied avatars\u2019 taboo zones

Embodying an artificial agent through immersive virtual reality (IVR) may lead to feeling vicariously somatosensory stimuli on one’s body which are in fact never delivered. To explore whether vicarious touch in IVR reflects the basic individual and social features of real-life interpersonal interactions we tested heterosexual men/women and gay men/lesbian women reacting subjectively and physiologically to the observation of a gender-matched virtual body being touched on intimate taboo zones (like genitalia) by male and female avatars. All participants rated as most erogenous caresses on their embodied avatar taboo zones. Crucially, heterosexual men/women and gay men/lesbian women rated as most erogenous taboo touches delivered by their opposite and same gender avatar, respectively. Skin conductance was maximal when taboo touches were delivered by female avatars. Our study shows that IVR may trigger realistic experiences and ultimately allow the direct exploration of sensitive societal and individual issues that can otherwise be explored only through imagination.

On the Internet you can be anyone: An experiment on strategic avatar choice in online marketplaces

In order to decrease social distance and increase trust on their platforms, many online marketplaces allow traders to be represented by profile pictures or avatars. In a laboratory experiment, we investigate whether the presence of seller avatars affects trading behavior in a market. We contrast markets without avatars with markets where avatars truthfully represent traders and markets where avatars can be freely changed at any time and may thus be chosen strategically. At the aggregate level, we find that the presence of truthful avatars increases the trustwothiness of sellers, but that this effect is undone when avatars can be chosen strategically. We do not detect aggregate effects on buyers´ trusting choices. Female avatars are more trusted, and correspondignly in the treatment with free avatar choice men are more likely to represent themselves with a female avatar than vice versa.

Decoding of facial expressions of pain in avatars: does sex matter?

The decoding of facial expressions of pain plays a crucial role in pain diagnostic and clinical decision making. For decoding studies, it is necessary to present facial expressions of pain in a flexible and controllable fashion. Computer models (avatars) of human facial expressions of pain allow for systematically manipulating specific facial features. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether avatars can show realistic facial expressions of pain and how the sex of the avatars influence the decoding of pain by human observers. For that purpose, 40 female (mean age: 23.9 years) and 40 male (mean age: 24.6 years) observers watched 80 short videos showing computer-generated avatars, who presented the five clusters of facial expressions of pain (four active and one stoic cluster) identified by Kunz and Lautenbacher (2014). After each clip, observers were asked to provide ratings for the intensity of pain the avatars seem to experience and the certainty of judgement, i.e. if the shown expression truly represents pain. Results show that three of the four active facial clusters were similarly accepted as valid expressions of pain by the observers whereas only one cluster ("raised eyebrows") was disregarded. The sex of the observed avatars influenced the decoding of pain as indicated by increased intensity and elevated certainty ratings for femaleavatars. The assumption of different valid facial expressions of pain could be corroborated in avatars, which contradicts the idea of only one uniform pain face. The observers' rating of the avatars' pain was influenced by the avatars' sex, which resembles known observer biases for humans. The use of avatars appeared to be a suitable method in research on the decoding of the facial expression of pain, mirroring closely the known forms of human facial expressions.

Evaluation of avatar and voice transform in programming e-learning lectures

This article reports the effectiveness of high frame rate facial animated avatar and voice transformer in eLearning. Three avatars: (real male professor, male avatar, female avatar) were combined with male professor’s voice or VT-4 vocoder transformed voice to create six distinguished videos which were then viewed by university freshmen students. A total of 186 students divided into 15 groups participated in this experiment. Female avatar was the most appealing avatar visually, but its combination with voice transform severely hinders its overall score. This research can be extended to real time live evaluation measuring preferences of students and draw more connections between student perception of avatar and actual lecturers.

Being the Victim of Intimate Partner Violence in Virtual Reality: First- Versus Third-Person Perspective.

Immersive virtual reality is widely used for research and clinical purposes. Here we explored the impact of an immersive virtual scene of intimate partner violence experienced from the victim’s perspective (first person), as opposed to witnessing it as an observer (third person). We are ultimately interested in the potential of this approach to rehabilitate batterers and in understanding the mechanisms underlying this process. For this, non-offender men experienced the scene either from the perspective of the victim’s virtual body (a female avatar), which moved synchronously with the participants’ real movements, or from the perspective of an observer, while we recorded their behavior and physiological responses. We also evaluated through questionnaires, interviews and implicit association tests their subjective impressions and potential pre/post changes in implicit gender bias following the experience. We found that in all participants, regardless of perspective, the magnitude of the physiological reactions to virtual threatening stimuli was related to how vulnerable they felt for being a woman, the sensation that they could be assaulted, how useful the scene could be for batterer rehabilitation, and how different it would have been to experience the scenario on TV. Furthermore, we found that their level of identification with the female avatar correlated with the decrease in prejudice against women. Although the first-person perspective (1PP) facilitated taking the scene personally, generated a sensation of fear, helplessness, and vulnerability, and tended to induce greater behavioral and physiological reactions, we show that the potential for batterer rehabilitation originates from presence and identification with the victim, which in turn is more easily, but not exclusively, achieved through 1PP. This study is relevant for the development of advanced virtual reality tools for clinical purposes.

How avatar gender may influence users intention to use Second Life environment: An empirical study

The use of virtual environments to transform individuals? use of modern technology has gained a special attention lately. The role of gender in the virtual space has also been viewed as a contributor to individuals? use of modern technology. This study investigated the impact of avatar gender on users? intention to use the Second Life (SL) environment in a university context. Two avatars of male and female characteristics were designed and used in the SL environment. A total of 74 SL users were involved in two learning sessions (with male female avatars). A questionnaire was used to capture users? perceptions of ease of use, usefulness, attitude, and behavioral intention to use the SL space. SL users had positive intentions to use the SL environment for various learning purposes when they are provided with the preferred gender appearance. Offering opposite gender characteristics can help stimulate users? interaction with the avatar, thus facilitating the learning process and building the sense of technology effectiveness.

E-Coaching: the DianaWeb study to prevent breast cancer recurrences.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide, for which the survival rate is increasing over time. Growing evidence are showing that the effect of lifestyle could have the same weight of the effect of the usual clinical-pathological risk factors on survival rate. The DianaWeb study responds to the pressing request of patients diagnosed with breast cancer to know the most advanced point of scientific research on the prevention of recurrences, to have a virtual space to meet, where to receive advice and practical information for the daily management the lifestyle change. DianaWeb is a community-based participatory research, dedicated to breast cancer patients, aimed to monitor lifestyle, provide them tips to encourage sustainable lifestyle changes, and to analyze clinical outcomes. In order to achieve these aims, DianaWeb uses a specific interactive website (http://www.dianaweb.org/). The web architecture has been designed essential and light, with a rigorous implantation that brings the figure of the woman to the center. In order to humanized the project the acronym used to identify the study was Diana (Diet and Androgens), a classical female name, who was illustrated as a female avatar, aimed to symbolize all women. The graphical interface was developed using seven pastel tones colors, which become a fundamental elements of the layout, such as frame, navigation menu, and separation interspaces. The project started in 2015, and in 4 days the web site was visited by more than 1000 people. A total of 2823 persons enrolled in the study, but 2182 did not send the full documentations, 61 persons abandoned the study, 641 timely answered to the questionnaires. The high number of participants' interaction within the web page, confirmed the high usability of the web page and the great interest of patients. Prevention of breast cancer recurrences with low cost technologies, easily available to everybody, is a priority for both public health and public finances.

Gamer Girl Visibility: Networks and Their Gendered Ingroup Behaviours in Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games

‘Why can’t I just be a gamer? Why do I have to be a “female gamer”?’ While a generic term for all gamers may be looming on the horizon, there are still aspects of play which draw clear boundaries between male and female gamers. These boundaries, however, are often illusions. In Massively Multiplayer Online Roleplaying Games (MMOs), several networks exist within the game space, and one such network is that of ‘female character’. For male players to gain a part in this network, many gender-bend, and the gender of the character is what determines their actions not the gender of the players themselves. When men use female avatars, they engage in behaviours which they believe are typical feminine acts, (healing, fighting from a distance, etc.) but these are based on false perceptions about gender roles. Gaining access to this network is one which requires constant performance; however, it is a network which is often inhospitable for real-world women.

Influence of perceived emotion and gender on social motor coordination.

Theorists have long postulated that facial properties such as emotion and sex are potent social stimuli that influence how individuals act. Yet extant scientific findings were mainly derived from investigations on the prompt motor response upon the presentation of affective stimuli, which were mostly delivered by means of pictures, videos, or text. A theoretical question remains unaddressed concerning how the perception of emotion and sex would modulate the dynamics of a continuous coordinated behaviour. Conceived in the framework of dynamical approach to interpersonal motor coordination, the present study aimed to address this question by adopting the coupled-oscillators paradigm. Twenty-one participants performed in-phase and anti-phase coordination with two avatars (male and female) displaying three emotional expressions (neutral, happy, and angry) at different frequencies (100% and 150% of the participant's preferred frequency) by executing horizontal rhythmic left-right oscillatory movements. Time to initiate movement (TIM), mean relative phase error (MnRP), and standard deviation of relative phase (SDRP) were calculated as indices of reaction time, deviation from the intended pattern of coordination, and coordination stability, respectively. Results showed that in anti-phase condition at 150% frequency, MnRP was lower with the angry and the female avatar. In addition, coordination was found to be more stable with the male avatar than the female one when both displaying neutral emotion. But the happy female avatar was found to elicit more stable coordination than the neutral female avatar. These results implied that individuals are more relaxed to coordinate with the female than the male, and the sensorimotor system becomes more flexible to coordinate with an angry person. It is also suggested social roles influence how people coordinate, and individuals attend more to interact with a happy female. In sum, the present study evidenced that social perception is embodied in the interactive behaviour during social interaction.

Waist-to-Hip Ratio as Supernormal Stimuli: Effect of Contrapposto Pose and Viewing Angle

In women, the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) is an indicator of attractiveness, health, youthfulness, and reproductive potential. In the current study, we hypothesized that viewing angle and body postures influence the attractiveness of these forms based on the view dependency of WHR stimuli (vdWHR). Using eye tracking, we quantified the number of fixations and dwell time on 3D images of a female avatar in two different poses (standing and contrapposto) from eight viewing angles incrementing in 45 degrees of rotation. A total of 68 heterosexual individuals (25 men and 43 women) participated in the study. Results showed that the contrapposto pose was perceived as more attractive than the standing pose and that lower vdWHR sides of the stimuli attracted more first fixation, total fixations, and dwell time. Overall, the results supported that WHR is view-dependent and vdWHRs lower than optimal WHRs are supernormal stimuli that may generate peak shifts in responding. Results are discussed in terms of the attractiveness of women's movements (gaits and dance) and augmented artistic presentations.

Women Keep it Real: Avatar Gender Choice in League of Legends.

This article examines avatar gender choice within a competitive context in which avatar gender is not equivalent across functions. In data from the game League of Legends (n = 15,392) reflecting >5 million avatar gender choices, women were found to have stronger preferences for avatar gender consistency than men. Furthermore, women tended to choose female avatars at twice the available rate offered by the game, whereas men chose male avatars at a rate approximately the same as the proportion offered. These findings support the argument that women experience more pressure than men do to perform their gender identities overtly, even in competitive games where avatar choice is mostly functional and avatar gender is fixed within specific characters. A practical implication is that by offering a wider range of female avatar and character options, game designers could likely attract greater female audiences without a significant loss of male players.

The Impact of Game Avatar Customization in Improving User Experience and Gamer Loyalty: Experiment in Role Playing Game (RPG) Based Video Game

The increasing number of video game titles raises competition between video game developers getting tighter and more competitive, this encourages the game developers to be more creative in designing their games so that players become loyal to play and not quickly switch to playing other games. While we know that game development is very difficult, time consuming and requires a lot of costs for the RPG genre. So that the loyalty of game players in playing games becomes a crucial problem.This study aims to explain how the customization of game avatars can increase the loyalty of video game players in playing role-playing games (RPGs).This study uses the within-subject experimental method with participants who are RPG video game players who have played for at least 1 year, 24 participants participated in the 8 experiment session throughout the study. The results of this study indicate that avatar customization is very important because it can improve the player's self-identification in the game, improve the playing experience, improve the perceived quality of the video game played, increase the flow and immersion of players, and increase gamer loyalty. Another result that was raised was that the use of avatars that were the same gender with players (male players using male avatars) did not have higher flow and immersion than when using different genders (male players use female avatars) so that this raises new issues of gander swapping in the role playing video game that can be continued for further research.

Abstract 196: Comparing Bystander Response to an Unannounced Cardiac Arrest Based on Victim Gender Using an Immersive Virtual Reality System

Introduction: Bystander response to a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) should ideally be the same for all victims, however studies have shown disparities in response exist based on the gender of the victim. Current virtual reality (VR) wearable technology allows for the creation of high realism scenarios permitting manipulation of the victim’s gender in order to observe bystander response. Objectives: We sought to compare lay bystander response to an unannounced simulated VR SCA event based on the victim’s gender. Methods: Using our VR SCA system integrated with a CPR recording manikin, we randomized the avatar victim’s gender to either female or male (Figure 1). Subjects were able to interact with simulated bystanders, give vocal commands such as “call 911” or “get an AED”, and perform CPR on the simulated victim in the virtual environment while simultaneously performing CPR on the manikin. Subjects were unaware of the nature of the event but were told to respond however they would in real-life to an emergency situation. Subject’s ability to proceed through the Chain of Survival (Call 911, Perform CPR, Ask for and Use an AED) and CPR quality were recorded. Results: Between 9/2017 and 12/2017, 75 subjects were enrolled; mean age was 31±11 yrs, 35% were female, 49% were White, and 66% had never been trained in CPR or were trained >2 yrs prior. In total, 59% of subjects performed CPR, and 11% used an AED. CPR was performed on male victims 65% of the time vs 54% on female victims (p=NS, Figure 2a); An AED was used 21% of the time for male victims vs 15% for female victims (p=NS, Figure 2b). If the subject was male, CPR was performed on a female victim 56% of the time vs 71% for a male victim; female subjects performed CPR on a female victim 50% vs 58% on a male victim (p=NS). Conclusion: In our unannounced, immersive VR SCA study, there was a trend toward less CPR and AED use on female avatar victims. Future work will need to be powered to evaluate disparities in CPR and AED use based on gender.

You are What You Wear: Unless You Moved—Effects of Attire and Posture on Person Perception

While first impressions are often based on appearance cues, little is known about how these interact with information from other channels. The present research aimed to investigate the impact of occupational stereotypes, evoked by attire, as well as posture on person perception. For this, computer animation was used to create avatars with different types of attire (nurse, military, casual) and posture (open, closed). In Study 1 (N = 164), participants attributed significantly more empathy to avatars wearing a nurse versus a military uniform or casual outfit. When adding posture as an additional cue, Study 2 (N = 312) showed that ratings of empathy and dominance were affected by both attire and posture. This effect was replicated in Study 3 (N = 163) for female avatars, in the sense that open postures in nurses increased empathy ratings and decreased dominance ratings, which both in turn led to greater perceived competence. By contrast, for male avatars, posture did not affect attributions of competence directly. Rather, attire predicted perceived dominance directly, as well as through perceived empathy. The present findings suggest that both posture, and occupational information evoked by attire, are used to infer personal characteristics. However, the strength of each cue may vary with the gender of the target.

Is Desirability of the Trait a Boundary Condition of the Proteus Effect? A Pilot Study

Although previous research has shown that individuals take on aspects of the avatars they embody in virtual environments, studies have not yet tested whether this phenomenon, known as the Proteus effect, extends to traits that are undesirable to have, such as narcissism. A total of 133 female participants completed a shopping simulation in virtual reality. In this simulation, half embodied an avatar of Kim Kardashian, a celebrity known for her narcissistic behavior and materialistic purchases, while the other half embodied a generic female avatar of similar appearance. Participants then chose between luxury and nonluxury brands for a variety of objects. Results indicated that participants did not take on the luxury purchase behaviors of Kim Kardashian and in fact showed lower narcissism scores after embodying her than those embodying a generic avatar. These results suggest a self-serving component to the Proteus effect, in that individuals may only take on desired aspects of the avatars they embody and distance themselves from undesired aspects.

Virtual reality MRI

MRI is a critical component of paediatric healthcare. However, the experience of undergoing an MRI scan (confinement alone within a very peculiar environment, hearing loud and unpredictable noises and having to remain still) remains a difficult and potentially distressing one for many paediatric patients. There are some patients who require a general anaesthetic (GA) in order to undergo MRI. To reduce this “fear factor”, we have developed Virtual Reality (VR) apps for both Android and Apple devices to give the prospective patient an immersive first person perspective of a patient MRI journey through the Royal Belfast Hospital for Sick Children MRI department and the Neurology department in Kings College London. These are free to download in the respective app stores*. The user is guided by a 6 year old female avatar through the VR experience where they access 6 360o videos of the patient journey at each MRI department, including the very difficult shots from within the MRI scanner room and within the bore of the MRI scanner during actual scanning. Users can experience the fully immersive experience using a VR headset or alternatively they can view the app and embedded videos in handset/tablet mode. The apps are also supported by interactive patient preparation booklets.

Increased Cognitive Load during Video Game Play Reduces Rape Myth Acceptance and Hostile Sexism after Exposure to Sexualized Female Avatars

The present study investigated how task demand (cognitive load and interactivity) and avatar sexualization in a video game influenced rape myth acceptance (RMA), hostile sexism, and self-objectification. In a between-subjects design, 300 U.S. college students either played or watched someone else play a videogame as either a sexualized or non-sexualized female avatar under high (memorize 7 symbols) or low (memorize 2 symbols) cognitive load. Hypotheses were derived from the limited capacity model of motivated mediated message processing (LC4MP) and perspectives on stereotype processing. Results contradicted hypotheses that greater task demands and sexualization would produce greater RMA, hostile sexism, and self-objectification. Instead, we found that sexualization did not affect these variables. Greater cognitive load reduced rape myth acceptance and hostile sexism for those in the sexualized avatar condition, but it did not affect self-objectification. We discuss these results with respect to the LC4MP and suggest that the processing of stereotype-inconsistent information might be the underlying cause of these unexpected findings. These results provide tentative evidence that cognitively demanding video game environments may prompt players to focus on stereotype-inconsistent, rather than stereotype-consistent, social information.

The Use of Avatar Counseling for HIV/AIDS Health Education: The Examination of Self-Identity in Avatar Preferences.

BackgroundThe number of adults using the Internet to obtain health information is on the rise. An estimated 66% of the adults reportedly use the Internet to obtain health information related to a specific disease (ie, human immunodeficiency virus and acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, HIV/AIDS). Previous research has demonstrated that health information seekers use the Internet to seek answers to stigma-laden questions from health avatars.ObjectiveThe objective of this study was to identify patterns in the choice of avatar among health information seekers (patients or public health workers) using the Internet to obtain HIV/AIDS information and to describe the demographic characteristics (age, gender, and ethnicity) of health information seekers to determine whether they preferred an avatar that was similar to their own gender and ethnicity.MethodsThe Rural South Public Health Training Center (RSPHTC) partnered with the New York State Department of Health to create the HIV/AIDS Avatar project. The avatar project was created to serve as an educational resource for public health workers by providing relevant and accurate information about HIV/AIDS. First, the user was instructed to choose one of the 8 avatars that voiced responses to 100 common questions and answers about HIV/AIDS. Next, the website gave users the option to complete a brief 3-question demographic survey. Finally, the demographic characteristics of each user were compared with the chosen avatar to determine whether they preferred an avatar that was similar to their own gender and ethnicity.ResultsThe avatar project website was loaded with 800 videos that included the answers to the top 100 questions about HIV/AIDS voiced by 8 avatars. A total of 1119 Web-based health information seekers completed the demographic survey upon accessing the website. Of these, 55.14% (617/1119) users were female. A total of 49.96% (559/1119) users were aged between 30 and 49 years. The ethnicity of the user and the avatar was found to have the strongest connection. All the users choose the female avatar matching their own ethnicity, followed by the male avatar. Additionally, the white female avatar was chosen the most by all users regardless of the age group or gender.ConclusionsWeb-based health information seekers using the Internet to access medical research information may feel more comfortable receiving the answers to HIV stigma-laden questions from avatars, rather than receiving information directly from a health care provider. Additionally, providers seeking to utilize avatars to deliver interventions in health care settings may benefit from offering individuals choices in how they receive health information. Having the ability to choose whom you seek information from may lead to an increase in knowledge and awareness and could motivate HIV-positive individuals to seek care.

Virtual intimacy: Propensity for physical contact between avatars in an online virtual environment

Physical contact in human interactions conveys important social cues and plays a role in health and well-being. Although popular social technologies are limited in transmitting the physical aspects of human contact, avatars in online multi-user virtual environments can be used to visualize the physical characteristics of social interactions. Naturalistic observations of physical contact between avatars were performed in IMVU, an online virtual chat room platform where users control the physical interactions of their avatars by selecting among available animated poses. A third of the available poses examined across different user-generated chat rooms enabled physical contact between avatars, but only about one in ten of the avatars observed used these intimate poses, most commonly when dancing or sitting. While more female avatars were observed in non-intimate behavior, the number of males and female avatars observed in intimate interactions was relatively equivalent, with most intimate dyads being of heterosexual composition. Engagement in intimate interactions was not related to the presence of other avatars or their total number. The findings provide insight into the propensity of users to engage in physical contact via their avatars and have implications for the development of social technologies that facilitate virtual intimacy.