Impact of similarity between avatar and their users on their perceived identifiability: Evidence from virtual teams in Second Life platform

Abstract: Research on the application of avatars in the virtual teams is growing. In this study, we examined the effect of perceived similarity of an avatar user with his/her avatar on the perceptions of his/her identifiability within a virtual team. The study utilized a sample of 124 users actively...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Publicado en:	Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 28; no. 3; pp. 929 - 933
Autores principales:	Midha, Vishal, Nandedkar, Ankur
Formato:	Artículo
Publicado:	Elsevier B.V. May2012
Materias:	Internet users Virtual reality Attitude (Psychology) Group identity Internet Social skills Teams in the workplace Avatars (Virtual reality) Structural equation modeling Least squares Virtual work teams Pattern perception Multivariate analysis
Acceso en línea:	Ver este registro en EBSCOhost

Descripción
Sumario:	Abstract: Research on the application of avatars in the virtual teams is growing. In this study, we examined the effect of perceived similarity of an avatar user with his/her avatar on the perceptions of his/her identifiability within a virtual team. The study utilized a sample of 124 users actively involved in Second Life, a virtual world platform. Results of structural equation modeling utilizing the partial least squares method corroborate the hypothesis. An important contribution of this research is to inform practitioners about the critical role that users’ similarity with the avatar plays in enhancing their identifiability. We draw conclusions based on the result and identify some important avenues for future research.