Social Virtual Worlds Research Articles

A Mirror without a Tain: Personae, Avatars, and Selves in a Multi-User Virtual Environment

A Mirror without a Tain: Personae, Avatars, and Selves in a Multi-User Virtual Environment

Moderating role of gender in the relationships between perceived benefits and satisfaction in social virtual world continuance

Previous studies on social virtual world (SVW) continuance have suggested that satisfaction, which promotes SVW continuance intention, is determined by three types of perceived benefits (i.e., utilitarian, hedonic, and social benefits). Moreover, the relative impacts of these benefits on satisfaction are contingent on individual difference factors such as gender. However, little (if any) research has systematically investigated the effects of these benefits on satisfaction simultaneously, and how these effects are moderated by gender, in the SVW context. Adopting the need fulfillment perspective as a guiding framework and extending the literature of gender differences in technology usage into the distinctive context of SVWs, this study investigates the effects of the three types of perceived benefits, moderated by gender, on satisfaction in relation to SVW continuance. The proposed hypotheses are supported by multigroup PLS analyses using empirical data collected from 464 users of Second Life, a typical SVW. Specifically, we find that utilitarian and social benefits are more important for female users in predicting satisfaction, whereas hedonic benefit has a more salient effect on satisfaction for male users. These findings have important theoretical and practical implications.

Social engagement and user immersion in a socially based virtual world

Research into online social virtual worlds demonstrates their utility as a methodological tool for studying social behaviors and traits. Less is known about what aspects of the virtual world lead users to experience a sense of immersion (i.e., a psychological state characterized by perceiving oneself to be enveloped by a virtual environment; Witmer & Singer, 1998). The current study extends previous research by assessing the importance of social engagement with other avatars as a key component of immersion in virtual worlds. Participants navigated a virtual “hotel” in Second Life, an online social virtual world. We assessed participants’ social engagement with other avatars and the amount participants explored the virtual space e.g., spatial exploration. Positive associations between social engagement and immersion, and negative associations between spatial exploration and immersion, suggest that the users’ social experience outweighed the users’ spatial experience in creating a sense of immersion in this virtual world. This was despite the fact that the social experience was ultimately less realistic than the visual one. This finding, along with previous literature, suggests that the social nature of virtual worlds is a key component of user’s sense of immersion in the virtual environment.

Konstruksi Realitas Kehidupan Kedua Pemain Game Online: Studi pada Para Pemain Game Online dalam Membentuk Realitas dan Komunitas Virtual

Through the development information technologies, online gaming has become a means of communication and interaction between people. They build a virtual social world between them. The problem of this research is how the online game players build they second or secondary lives, particulary how they create second communities, identity, and space in virtual world. This research use qualitative method. The informants are from the online game player aand the data obtained from observation and interview. The results are second lives has a meaning as parallel wolrd that build as a the first world. This live is represents the imagination of the individual fantasy world that provided by online gaming developers.

Virtual goods, real goals: Exploring means-end goal structures of consumers in social virtual worlds

The aim of this study is to understand consumer goals for virtual consumption in social virtual worlds. Using a means-end chain approach, interviews with 93 users were analyzed to produce a hierarchical goal map, revealing that virtual consumption enables a diversity of goals beyond the previously identified experiential goals. The article's theoretical contributions include: (1) extending our understanding of user goals/goal relationships for virtual activities and (2) developing virtual liminoid theory, which describes transitions between users’ real-world and virtual identities and virtual consumption as a transition catalyst. The study illustrates the value of a goal focus for future research on user behavior in virtual worlds.

Understanding the users’ continuous adoption of 3D social virtual world in China: A comparative case study

Internet-based 3D social virtual world (SVW) is a special social media with 3D interface, open-ended, immersive, and collaborative nature, which has attracted interest among researchers and practitioners alike. This Chinese 3D SVW market developed for nearly 8years, from 2005 to 2013. After the initiation stage (05–09), some new tendencies occurred in the maintenance stage (09–13). Some local SVWs (e.g., HiPiHi) held advantages in attracting users in the early stage but failed in the maintenance stage, but other companies (e.g., Uworld) attracted users’ continuous adoption and commitment in long-term competition. Based on customer commitment theory and diffusion of innovation theory, we established a theoretical framework to explain how virtual world strategies impact on short-term and long-term customer commitment. Based on qualitative data (e.g., longitude observation and third-party report), this research compares two major competitors’ strategies in Chinese virtual world market (i.e., HiPiHi and Uworld), and analyzes how their strategies succeeded or failed to attract users’ long-term commitment. The findings suggest there is a “S-curve” for adoption rate of SVW users, and there is a “critical timeframe” for persuading users’ continuous adoptions. Social virtual worlds should try to encourage users to reduce personalization and learning cost in the short-term, after which they can then change the “vicious circle” to “virtuous circle.”

Playful membership: embracing an unknown future

This article studies the implications of current attempts by organizations to adapt to a world of constant change by introducing the notion of playful organizational membership. To this end we conduct a brief semantic history of organizational play and argue that when organizations play, employees are expected to engage in playful exploration of alternative selves. Drawing on Niklas Luhmann's theory of time and decision-making and Gregory Bateson's theory of play, the article analyses three empirical examples of how games play with conceptions of time. We explore how games represent an organizational desire to reach out – not just to the future – but to futures beyond the future presently imaginable. The article concludes that playful membership is membership through which employees are expected to develop a surplus of potential identities and continuously cross boundaries between real and virtual social worlds.

Social virtual world continuance among teens: uncovering the moderating role of perceived aggregate network exposure

Engagement in virtual worlds has become pervasive, particularly among the young. At the same time, the number of virtual environments has increased rapidly. Due to intensifying competition, promoting sustained usage, i.e. continuance, has become a top priority for virtual world operators. Prior research has shown that network externalities play a key role in the adoption of communication technologies. However, a small amount of research has examined the role of network externalities in continued IT usage in general or with respect to the virtual world participation in particular. To fill in this gap, we examine how perceived network externalities affect the continuance of social virtual worlds. To this end, we introduce the concept of perceived aggregate network exposure (PANE). We extend the original information systems (IS) continuance model with perceived enjoyment and position PANE as a moderator. We test the model with data collected from 2134 Finnish Habbo Hotel users and employ structural equation modelling in the analysis. The results demonstrate that PANE moderates the influence of motivational factors on continued use intention and satisfaction.

Understanding consumption in social virtual worlds: A sensemaking perspective on the consumption of virtual goods

Virtual consumption involves consuming virtual goods in cyberspace. Virtual consumption activities are evolving into an essential activity in social virtual worlds. Despite the growing importance of this activity, little research examines this phenomenon. The current study investigates the fundamental question of how users understand the consumption of virtual goods. Using the theory of social representations and core-periphery analysis, this study elicits and analyzes the social representation of virtual consumption. Study participants are 154 Second Life users. Results identify 32 concepts and relationships representing the collective perceptions of virtual consumption in this social virtual world. Social representation map interpretations point to several key themes that provide a foundation for future investigations of virtual economy consumption behavior.

Digital natives in social virtual worlds: A multi-method study of gratifications and social influences in Habbo Hotel

Millions of teenagers today engage in social virtual worlds (SVWs). However, teenagers, often referred to as digital natives, represent an under-investigated group in the virtual world research and the Information Systems literature. To this end, we draw on developmental psychology and the uses and gratifications approach to examine teenagers’ continuous SVW use with a multi-method approach. We first investigate role of psychological gratifications and social influences in predicting teenagers’ intention to continue using Habbo Hotel. Thereafter, to gain a deeper understanding of their in-world activities, we triangulate our findings with a structured content analysis of the respondents’ open-ended comments. Our quantitative and qualitative findings show that the intentions to continue SVW use are predominantly hedonically motivated. Moreover, we demonstrate that inside the platform users engage in social activities that are often associated with the hedonic experience. Finally, we discuss how these activities both extend and are distinct from digital natives’ offline and online social interactions.

Examining online channel selection behaviour among social media shoppers: a PLS analysis

Online social media shopper's channel selection behaviour have been neglected despite its significant effect on purchase decision in both offline and online markets. The purpose of this study is to examine the influence of transactive memory system (TMS) factors (specialisation, credibility and coordination), knowledge sharing (KS) and communication quality on online social media channel selection for shopping activities. Structural equation modelling (SEM) was performed using partial least squares (PLS) analysis to examine measurement model and structural model for reflective constructs. A total of 336 online questionnaires were collected from users of collaborative projects, social networking sites, blogs, content communities, virtual game worlds, and virtual social worlds. Our results reveal that TMS factors, KS and communication quality positively influence online channel selection. In addition, specialisation, credibility and coordination statistically contribute to TMS as a second order construct. This study extends the social exchange theory (SET) and TMS model in B2C retail context rather than B2B. Practical implications, limitations and directions for future research are discussed.

Undertaking qualitative health research in social virtual worlds

This paper discusses the methodological challenges of using the 3D social virtual world Second Life for research and offers some solutions on a range of research issues including research ethics committee approval, gaining consent, recruitment of sample, data collection and engagement with 'in - world culture'. The attraction of social virtual worlds to researchers is their ability to mimic the physical world, as they, are seen as 'places' where people have a feeling of presence (being there) and social presence (being there with others) through the use of a 'customisable' avatar (digital self-representation). Emerging research demonstrating the persuasive nature of avatars on health behaviours through virtual worlds, online games and the 3D web has increased the use of and interest in these areas for delivering health information, advice and support. However, conducting research can be challenging in a 3D world where people are represented as anonymous avatars in an environment unlike any other online media. 25 semi-structured interviews were conducted in Second Life from September 2011-June 2012. Nurses wishing to undertake research in social virtual worlds should spend time in-world to acquire technical skills and gain an understanding of the culture of the world. Our experience of an interview-based study in virtual worlds indicates that researchers require several virtual world technical skills to create innovative tools to recruit, gain consent and collect data and an understanding of in-world culture, language and social norms to increase the chances of successful research.

Morality and involvement in social virtual worlds: The intensity of moral emotions in response to virtual versus real life cheating

Our focus lies on moral emotions in the social virtual world Second Life (SL). Based on media equation theory we could expect that moral emotions regulate social virtual interactions in a similar way as they do in real life (RL). However, emotions are also linked with involvement, and SL residents presumably are more involved in SL compared to non-residents. Via two quasi-experiments, we tested to what extent moral emotions felt when being cheated on by a love partner are comparable in intensity when this happens in SL versus RL. Results show that for SL residents the intensity of moral emotions did not differ between SL versus RL situations, whereas for non-residents a SL situation triggered less intense emotions. Further, for SL residents the level of involvement in SL had a significant impact on the moral emotions in response to a SL situation. In social virtual worlds, media equation thus seems to depend on involvement.

Use of Social Media Marketing in Healthcare

Social media is an umbrella term that defines online technology and practices used to share opinion, insights, experience and perspectives. Social media are low cost marketing tools that help in facilitating the building of networks, instant dissemination of information and thus encouraging trust and confidence of public. It can take many forms like text, images, audio and video. According to Kaplan and Haenlein, there are six different types of social media: collaborative projects (e.g., Wikipedia), blogs and micro blogs (e.g., Twitter), content communities (e.g., YouTube, Flicker), social networking sites (e.g., Facebook, MySpace), virtual game worlds (e.g., World of Warcraft, Whyville), and virtual social worlds (e.g., Second Life). Based on this classification, extensive literature search was done from a range of sources like journals, books and internet websites of relevant disciplines, including public health organizations, hospitals and case studies prepared on each type exploring the use of social media in health promotion. The objective of this paper is to explain the use of social media marketing in health promotion and education and discuss various interventions done, using social media marketing tools in promoting public health. Finally, it is discussed like every coin has two sides, social media provides large opportunity for health promotion in the public health community, enabling public health professionals to reach out far and wide and directly to the public on multiple public health issues and at the same time its cautious use is imperative to prevent colossal damage. Social media, a communication boon for the public health community has the potential to promote and change many health-related behaviours and issues particularly in times of crisis.

Purchasing behavior in social virtual worlds: An examination of Habbo Hotel

Spending real money on virtual goods and services has become a popular form of online consumer behavior, particularly among teenagers. This study builds on the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT) to examine the role of motivation, social influence, measured with perceived network size as well as user interface and facilitating conditions in predicting the intention to engage in purchasing in social virtual worlds. The research model is tested with data from 1045 users of Habbo Hotel, world's most popular virtual world for teenagers. The results underscore the role of perceived network size and motivational factors in explaining in-world purchase decisions. The study shows that virtual purchasing behavior is substantially influenced by the factors driving usage behavior. Hence, virtual purchasing can be understood as a means to enhance the user experience. For virtual world operators, reinforcing the sense of presence of user's social network offers a means to promote virtual purchasing.

Digital Technology, Virtual Worlds, and Ethical Change

This paper questions the shifting meaning of the ethical categories of proximity and alterity in the light of the technological and social changes that virtual social worlds went through. It takes Roger Silverstone’s key theme of “proper distance” as a point of departure, and discusses the significance of this concept by linking it up with the more media-theoretical approaches on virtual communication as developed in McLuhan’s and Baudrillard’s body of thought. It is argued that today’s virtual realities ask for both a philosophical and media-sociological reconsideration of the traditional ethical category of alterity. As such, it links up with Feenberg’s idea that “online groups are indeed a qualitatively new medium” (A. Feenberg and M. Bakardjieva, “Virtual Community: No ‘Killer Implication,’” New Media & Society 6(1) (2004): 37–43, 41), but at the same time challenges Feenberg’s reservations about a theory of media centrism.

Keep the Social in Social Media: The Role of Social Interaction in Avatar-Based Virtual Shopping

This study investigates how, in a virtual store environment, an avatar-mediated interaction with a salesperson and a peer consumer influences a consumer's shopping experience and brand evaluation. The study examines the effects of a consumer's interaction with the salesperson and peer consumer avatars and how these interactions affect the consumer's perceived social presence, shopping enjoyment, attitude toward the brand, and purchase intention. The results suggest that a consumer's social interaction with a salesperson and a peer shopper in the form of avatar-mediated communication enhances the consumer's social presence, enjoyment, brand attitudes, and purchase intention. Regarding the consumer's shopping enjoyment, the results also demonstrate that perceived social presence significantly mediates the effects of avatar-based social interaction. This in turn improves the consumer's brand attitude and purchase intention. In light of these findings, marketers in social virtual worlds should focus on creating a socially engaging shopping environment and on fostering a strong sense of social presence via social interaction among avatars.

Knowledge Work Through Social Media Applications: Team Performance Implications of Immersive Virtual Worlds

Knowledge is key to competitive advantage, and the social reach of knowledge can amplify its power in terms of organizational performance. Leveraging such amplification, social media applications are expected broadly to improve the performance of organizational work, which highlights teams, groups, and organizations as particularly appropriate units of analysis. The technological intermediation of knowledge work within and among such social aggregations of people remains a complex endeavor, however. This pertains in particular to immersive, 3D environments supporting virtual social and game worlds. As with other social media applications, such virtual worlds can amplify knowledge broadly, but they also offer potential to approach the sensations of face-to-face (F2F) interaction in terms of presence, copresence, psychological engrossment, and affective experience. In this exploratory study, we employ both quantitative and qualitative research techniques to investigate how teamwork performed through virtual worlds can approach that accomplished via F2F interactions. This leads to important findings, insights, guidelines, and suggestions for expanded research as well as enhanced practice.

Developing Democracy on Facebook through Integration of 3D Arbitration

The virtual social networking world, otherwise known as VSW, is described as an electronic world in which one can live in each and every single day. In this world the people who live in it are known as “netisens” as referred to by R. Johnson. These are the citizens of this new virtual world. It is a requirement that netisens should be empowered against the online “wisards” and other “online overloads” that dominate the online and virtual worlds. It is important that the virtual world be neatly integrated with the social world so as to create proper structures. This is to ensure that appropriate resolution systems are established for the social network users in order to shift power and create a balance of power between the owners and the users of this social world. An example of this for instance may be having a democratically elected parliament for Facebook.

사회적 가상세계에서 인터페이스가 초보사용자들의 성과에 미치는 영향

This paper explores how interface environments have an influence on novice users’ performance in social virtual worlds (SVWs), which are emerging user-centric three-dimensional cyberspaces. Despite their early popularity. SVWs have experienced that numerous new users leave the cyberspaces soon before they become long-term users. One possible reason is that unfamiliar interfaces of SVWs can be a barrier to novice users’ adaptation of the technology. To understand a role of interfaces in the users’ assimilation of SVWs. we examine an impact of three interface factors (presence, affordance, and feedback) on performance which is regarded as a yardstick for users’ adaptation of SVWs. Forty participants were recruited and went through one-hour experimental sessions with seven tasks in Second Life: they were also asked to answer a questionnaire. Findings indicate that while affordance and feedback are significant factors influencing novice users’ performance, presence has no impact on their performance.