From Avatars to E-Personalities: Understanding the Social Dynamics and Identity Exploration in Virtual World Platforms among University Students

Abstract

This study investigated the worldview of a group of Malaysian higher education students, identified as SL1M residents, in the virtual world of Second Life over a period of more than two years, from 2012 to the present. Examining the representation of the participants' senses, thoughts, and actions via their avatars, the purpose of this study is to investigate the worldview elements that contribute to the behavior modeling from the virtual world that result in the development of the so-called ePersonality. Within an ethnographic framework, the study utilized Kozinet's model of Netnography to characterize the online communities and groups in the virtual world, where people are represented by avatars. Six active, closely knit, and devoted members of the SL1M group were selected based on two a priori criteria and interviewed online via the Second Life platform to capture data. Coding was necessary for an insightful analysis of the transcribed interview. The researcher utilized two distinct categorization procedures. First, the researcher coded each interview separately using seven columned templates, and then the data were coded using Atlas.ti to search for themes and sub-themes that were not captured by manual coding. This study's findings revealed that elements such as fantasized character, attractive appearance, personal intention, development of false identity, and dual personality, among others, contributed to the development of their ePersonality by modeling their virtual world behavior. The study highlights the need for additional research to ascertain the effect of virtual platforms on the development of alternative personalities among Malaysian college students.