- Arlington, Texas, USA
In virtual worlds, people create their avatars to represent themselves by deciding on their shapes and forms. An avatar can be called a “virtual ego” and can be defined as ‘‘user embodiment in a collaborative virtual environment’’... more
In virtual worlds, people create their avatars to represent themselves by deciding on their shapes and forms. An avatar can be called a “virtual ego” and can be defined as ‘‘user embodiment in a collaborative virtual environment’’ (Virtual Reality Society). Consumers also use avatars. Although it is an old phenomenon where consumers tend to identify themselves with some objects, using avatars is a new concept. According to Aaker (1997; 1999), consumers connect with brands that represent human-like anthropomorphizing, personification, or user imagery. In this sense, consumers use avatars to enhance their real-self and gain an ideal self-concept in their purchasing behavior (Peterson, 2006: 80). This chapter evaluates personality traits of online shoppers, avatars as a virtual world personality, and the relationship between avatars and self-concept.
