1.
Nowak, Kristine L., and Jesse Fox. “Avatars and Computer-Mediated Communication: A Review of the Definitions, Uses, and Effects of Digital Representations.” Review of Communication Research, ESP, 1 Jan. 1970, https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/55777.
Avatars are growing in popularity and present in many interfaces used for computer-mediated communication (CMC) including social media, e-commerce, and education. Communication researchers have been investigating avatars for over twenty years, and an examination of this literature reveals similarities but also notable discrepancies in conceptual definitions. Provides a general overview of current debates, methodological approaches, and trends in findings. Our review synthesizes previous research in four areas. Examine how scholars have conceptualized the term “avatar,” identify similarities and differences across these definitions, and recommend that scholars use the term consistently.
Key Terms: Virtual Reality, Communication Behavior, Computer Game
2.
Seymour, Michael, et al. AIS Electronic Library (AISEL) – Hawaii International Conference on System Sciences 2017 (HICSS-50): Interactive Realistic Digital Avatars – Revisiting the Uncanny Valley, https://aisel.aisnet.org/hicss-50/cl/hci/4/.
Uncanny Valley theory is influential in the discussion surrounding acceptance of realistic graphical agents. This theory was formulated by observing robots. While it has been shown to be valid when observing digital characters, little has been studied about acceptance when people interact with avatars, rather than simply observe a recording. The emerging technology that will soon be able to create realistic avatars challenges
KeyTerms- Uncanny, Theory, Digital, Appearance
3.
Medha , Sharma, and Vemuri Kavita. “Accepting Human-like Avatars in Social and Professional Roles.” Https://Dl-Acm-Org.ezproxy.lib.ou.edu/Doi/10.1145/3526026, 13 July 2022.
This study extends the discussions on interactions and acceptance of digital avatars with findings from three experiments. In the first, perceptive evaluation of actors in clips from computer-generated animation and a live-action version of the same movie was examined. In the second experiment, short clips with highly realistic digital avatars to measure recognition ability, the extent of eeriness, and specific physical features identified as unreal. The fixation area and pupil size variation recorded using an eye tracker were analyzed to infer attention to the body, face, and emotional response, respectively. Building on these findings, the third experiment looked at acceptance in roles requiring human skill, empathy, and cognitive ability. The results show that based on perceptions from physical attributes, the eeriness scores diverge from the uncanny valley theory as human-likeness increases.
Key Terms: Uncanny valley, roles, body, avatar, stereotype, humanoids, robots
4.
Segaran, Kogilathah, Ahmad Zamzuri Mohamad Ali, and Tan Wee Hoe. “Does Avatar Design in Educational Games Promote a Positive Emotional Experience among Learners?” E-learning and Digital Media18.5 (2021): 422-40. Web.
Virtual environments and digital games have been, and are, widely used as instructional support tools in current educational settings. In general, using games in learning is beneficial, as students and teachers consider them to be interesting, enjoyable, fun-filled, effective, interactive, and motivating. Cartoon-like character designs can be more promising in promoting positive emotional experiences among viewers, in comparison to slightly realistic and overly exaggerated avatar designs.
Key Terms: Educational, video games, digital, cartoon, character design
5.
Nagano, Koki, Jaewoo Seo, Jun Xing, Lingyu Wei, Zimo Li, Shunsuke Saito, Aviral Agarwal, Jens Fursund, and Hao Li. “PaGAN.” ACM Transactions on Graphics 37.6 (2019): 1-12. Web.
With the rising interest in personalized VR and gaming experiences comes the need to create high quality 3D avatars that are both low-cost and variegated. Due to this, building dynamic avatars from a single unconstrained input image is becoming a popular application. While previous techniques that attempt this require multiple input images or rely on transferring dynamic facial appearance from a source actor, we are able to do so using only one 2D input image without any form of transfer from a source image.
Key Terms: Personalized VR, Avatars, Dynamic Textures, Facial Appearance
6.
Schreier, Nora, Robin Renwick, and Tina Ehrke-Rabel. “The Digital Avatar on a Blockchain: E-Identity, Anonymity and Human Dignity.” Austrian Law Journal 8.2 (2021): 202-18. Web.
Examining aspects of digital identity, especially those that have proposed the use of a permissioned distributed ledger or blockchain as architecture for know your customer and onboarding evidential frameworks, using specific hashing schemes that derive unique identifiers from the combination of specific personal data points. Evidence is appended to a data structure, for the purpose of auditing and/or record keeping, potentially ensuring an immutable record of events is maintained. After elaborating on the notion of identity in the digital sphere and the applicability of the GDPR to such a data structure, the discussion will be developed to critically assess the current trend towards using the financial institutions’ customers’ mobile devices as interfaces to the distributed data structure and the legal and sociological implications of this technological development.
Key Terms: Digital identity, Accountability, Human dignity, Personal Data, Privacy, Fundamental rights
7.
Darville, Gabrielle, Charkarra Anderson – Lewis, Michael Stellefson, Yu-Hao Lee, Jann MacInnes, R. Morgan Pigg, Juan E. Gilbert, and Sanethia Thomas. “Customization of Avatars in a HPV Digital Gaming Intervention for College-Age Males: An Experimental Study.” Simulation & Gaming 49.5 (2018): 515-37. Web.
Digital games are increasingly popular among college age men and present themselves as an ideal platform to deliver HPV interventions. Customizing avatars in role playing games encourage intrinsic motivation in the learning process because of self-representation. Proteus Effect research suggests that the representations people make are an adaption of their actual/ ideal self and dictate how one conforms to the expectations and identity cues of their avatar.
Key Terms: Computer, Video Games, Ideal Self, Effectiveness, HPV, Men, Role Playing
8.
Leménager, Tagrid, Julia Dieter, Holger Hill, Sabine Hoffmann, Iris Reinhard, Martin Beutel, Falk Kiefer, Karl Mann, and Sabine Vollstädt-Klein. “Exploring the Neural Basis of Avatar Identification in Pathological Internet Gamers and of Self-Reflection in Pathological Social Network Users.” Journal of Behavioral Addictions 5.3 (2016): 485-99. Web.
Internet gaming addiction appears to be related to self-concept deficits and increased angular gyrus (AG)-related identification with one’s avatar. For increased social network use, a few existing studies suggest striatal-related positive social feedback as an underlying factor. However, whether an impaired self-concept and its reward-based compensation through the online presentation of an idealized version of the self are related to pathological social network use has not been investigated yet. Aimed to compare different stages of pathological Internet game and social network use to explore the neural basis of avatar and self-identification in addictive use.
Key Terms: Angular Gyrus, Idealized Version of Self, Social Network, Gaming, Addiction
9.
Kim, Youjeong, and S. Shyam Sundar. “Visualizing Ideal Self vs. Actual Self through Avatars: Impact on Preventive Health Outcomes.” Computers in Human Behavior 28.4 (2012): 1356-364. Web.
Key Terms: Perception, Psychology, Self-preservation, Lifestyle,
10.
Szolin, Kim, Daria Kuss, Filip Nuyens, and Mark Griffiths. “Gaming Disorder: A Systematic Review Exploring the User-avatar Relationship in Videogames.” Computers in Human Behavior 128 (2022): 107124. Web.
Videogames can often be a source of pleasure and relaxation for many individuals, but they can also lead to disordered and potentially addictive behaviors, which is referred to as Gaming Disorder (GD). The purpose of the present systematic literature review was to explore virtual world avatars and the dynamics of the user-avatar relationship in the context of GD utilizing the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. A total of 15 peer-reviewed studies were identified that met the inclusion criteria. The results showed a consistent positive association between avatar identification and GD across many of the studies. Gamers with GD often design an avatar to resemble their vision of their ideal self, and the avatar can be used as a means to reduce self-discrepancy between the actual and ideal self as well as compensate for perceived physical-world inadequacies.
Key Terms: Videogames, Gaming disorder, Avatars, Addictive behavior, Ideal-self, Health
11.
Epps, Sarah Rotman. “The Digital Self.” Journal of Marketing Theory and Practice 22.2 (2014): 137-38. Web.
Because digital technology itself is changing, each individual’s relationship to technology is also changing, subtly altering the nature of each individual digital self. This paradigm shift in digital, blending remote and proximity capabilities, presents an opportunity to reconnect with values that were important to people before digital technologies but seem to require active cultivation now. These are values such as sustained focus and attention, patience and delayed gratification, respect for the people in your physical presence, and a personal connection with nature.
Key Terms: Self-image, Technology, Digital, Values, Digital self
12.
Monacis, L., M.D. Griffiths, P. Limone, and M. Sinatra. “The Risk of Social Media Addiction between the Ideal/false and True Self: Testing a Path Model through the Tripartite Person-centered Perspective of Authenticity.” Telematics and Informatics 65 (2021): 101709. Web.
There are direct and indirect paths from self-alienation to risk for social media addiction. There is an indirect path from accepting external influence on risk for social media addiction. There is an indirect path from authenticity to a lower risk of becoming addicted to social media. Selfitis behaviors help in understanding individual’s self-presentation on social media. Much previous research has focused on the important role played by personality constructs in developing addictive use of social media. However, no investigation has yet been conducted examining the association between dispositional authenticity and online self-idealization, or the authentic self-expression hypothesis and the risk of becoming addicted to social media.
Key Terms: Social media, Risk, Personality, Self-expression, Addiction, Authentic self, Self-presentation