Who Are You Online?: A Study of Gender, Race, and Gaming Experience and Context on Avatar Self-Representation

Robert Andrew Dunn; Rosanna E. Guadagno

doi:10.4018/978-1-6684-7589-8.ch095

Who Are You Online? A Study of Gender, Race, and Gaming Experience and Context on Avatar Self-Representation

Robert Andrew Dunn
, Rosanna E. Guadagno

Department of Media and Communication

National Science Foundation

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

Abstract

The authors conducted an experiment to determine the effects of gender, race, online video gaming experience, and the experimental context in which participants played the video game (online vs. offline vs. no information control) on avatar selection. The qualities of the avatar compared were based on eight objective differences between avatars and individuals: attractiveness, skin tone, height, girth chest size, waist size, hip size, and height. As predicted, those with online gaming experience selected avatars that were taller, thinner, and more attractive relative to their real selves than did participants with no prior online game experience. Non-white participants selected avatars with lighter skin-tones, whereas white participants selected avatars with darker skin-tones. Surprisingly, male participants selected shorter avatars than female counterparts did.

Original language	American English
Title of host publication	Research Anthology on Game Design, Development, Usage, and Social Impact
Publisher	IGI Global
Chapter	95
Pages	1938-1955
Volume	1-4
ISBN (Print)	9781668475898
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.4018/978-1-6684-7589-8.ch095
State	Published - 2023

Access to Document

10.4018/978-1-6684-7589-8.ch095

https://www.igi-global.com/book/research-anthology-game-design-development/308821

Cite this

Who Are You Online? A Study of Gender, Race, and Gaming Experience and Context on Avatar Self-Representation. / Dunn, Robert Andrew; Guadagno, Rosanna E.
Research Anthology on Game Design, Development, Usage, and Social Impact . Vol. 1-4 IGI Global, 2023. p. 1938-1955.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter (peer-reviewed) › peer-review

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