Priming or Proteus Effect? Examining the Effects of <i>Avatar Race</i> on In-Game Behavior and Post-Play Aggressive Cognition and Affect in Video Games

Ash, Erin

doi:10.1177/1555412014568870

Cited by 60 publications

(52 citation statements)

References 34 publications

(42 reference statements)

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“…This includes the Proteus effect, wherein embodying an avatar in IVR can influence behaviors and attitudes even after the embodiment experience has ended, which holds the potential for both risks (Fox, Bailenson, & Tricase, 2013) and benefits (Peck, Seinfeld, Aglioti, & Slater, 2013) for IVR users. There is, however, evidence that IVR embodiment of a relevant avatar is not, in itself, sufficient to induce a Proteus effect, but that the subjective experience of the IVR user might partially determine whether such an effect occurs (Ash, 2016). The current study examined a Proteus effect through the use of avatars of different age groups on later real-life walking speed.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“…Additionally, when taking the subjective IVR experience into account, subjective feelings of body ownership of the avatar were shown to mediate Proteus effects (Ahn et al, 2016;Yoon & Vargas, 2014). It has also been suggested that a threshold of subjective body ownership may have to be exceeded for avatar effects to occur (Ash, 2016). This would fall in line with the explanation suggested by self-perception theory, indicating that observations of the avatar have to be connected to the IVR user's self in order for embodiment-specific components of the Proteus effect to occur.…”

Section: Proteus Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Acting your avatar’s age: effects of virtual reality avatar embodiment on real life walking speed

et al. 2019

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When immersive virtual reality users employ digital selfrepresentations, i.e., avatars, they may be subject to the Proteus effect. This effect describes changes in attitudes and behaviors in accordance with identity cues derived from the employed avatar's appearance, which can persist after leaving virtual reality. Individual reactions to the experience can affect the strength of observed Proteus effects. Especially the experienced illusions of body ownership of avatars and of being in the virtual environment (spatial presence) have been discussed in this context. This study investigated a Proteus effect of avatar age on post-embodiment walking speed, with special focus on how body ownership and spatial presence moderated this effect. Participants who had previously embodied older avatars took significantly longer to walk a set distance than either young avatar or control group participants. This was only apparent during the first half of the walking phase, which may indicate fast decay rates of the effect after embodiment ended. The reported body ownership could not be shown to impact the strength of the Proteus effect. Participants reporting more pronounced spatial presence were subject to stronger Proteus effects, with only the twothirds of the sample with higher spatial presence showing evidence of the effect.

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Proteus Effectmentioning

confidence: 99%

Acting your avatar’s age: effects of virtual reality avatar embodiment on real life walking speed

et al. 2019

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“…Other studies have shown how the Proteus Effect may enhance stereotypes against outgroup members. It has also been shown that users that play a black avatar in a computer game present greater aggressive cognition and affect (Eastin et al, 2009;Ash, 2016). From a theoretical point of view, the Proteus effect is based on self-perception principles (Bem, 1972), under which the individual explains his attitudes and internal states based on observation of external cues.…”

Section: Manipulation Of Interoceptive Signals: Affecting Emotion Regmentioning

confidence: 99%

Learning Empathy Through Virtual Reality: Multiple Strategies for Training Empathy-Related Abilities Using Body Ownership Illusions in Embodied Virtual Reality

et al. 2018

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Several disciplines have investigated the interconnected empathic abilities behind the proverb "to walk a mile in someone else's shoes" to determine how the presence, and absence, of empathy-related phenomena affect prosocial behavior and intergroup relations. Empathy enables us to learn from others' pain and to know when to offer support. Similarly, virtual reality (VR) appears to allow individuals to step into someone else's shoes, through a perceptual illusion called embodiment, or the body ownership illusion. Considering these perspectives, we propose a theoretical analysis of different mechanisms of empathic practices in order to define a possible framework for the design of empathic training in VR. This is not intended to be an extensive review of all types of practices, but an exploration of empathy and empathy-related phenomena. Empathyrelated training practices are analyzed and categorized. We also identify different variables used by pioneer studies in VR to promote empathy-related responses. Finally, we propose strategies for using embodied VR technology to train specific empathy-related abilities.

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“…Furthermore, there is evidence that mere exposure to, as opposed to identification with, depictions of women and non-White ethnicities in video games can lead to negative attitudes towards those groups (Dill, Brown, & Collins, 2008;Dill & Burgess, 2012). Given the evidence that embodiment can lead to a stronger activation of stereotypes than other forms of media (Ash, 2016;Groom et al, 2009), it is important that the portrayal of women, Black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) people and members of other disadvantaged social groups is treated as an important issue by game designers. As VR technology advances to allow increased malleability of the boundaries between self and other, it is vital that those involved in designing the new forms of media and entertainment that make use of VR are aware of the need to combat lazy and stereotypic depictions of other social groups, and instead use these advances to present members of other group in a manner that builds up empathy and reduces prejudice between groups.…”

Section: Future Directions: Changing Attitudes Via Embodiment Outsidementioning

confidence: 99%

“…It has also been found that assigning female participants to sexualised avatars increased their selfobjectification and made them more likely to blame victims of rape for their situation (Fox, Ralston, Cooper, & Jones, 2014). Others studies have shown that playing a Black character in a computer game leads participants to show more aggressive cognition and affect, presumably as a result of the activation of stereotypical views of Black men as violent (Ash, 2016;Eastin, Appiah, & Cicchirllo, 2009). Importantly, Ash (2016) demonstrated that this effect was mediated by the extent to which users felt embodied in their avatar, suggesting that increased use of VR-based embodiment in gaming could lead to increased reinforcement of stereotyped views.…”

Section: Future Directions: Changing Attitudes Via Embodiment Outsidementioning

confidence: 99%

Putting Ourselves in Another’s Skin: Using the Plasticity of Self-Perception to Enhance Empathy and Decrease Prejudice

Farmer

Maister

2017

Soc Just Res

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The self is one the most important concepts in social cognition and plays a crucial role in determining questions such as which social groups we view ourselves as belonging to and how we relate to others. In the past decade, the self has also become an important topic within cognitive neuroscience with an explosion in the number of studies seeking to understand how different aspects of the self are represented within the brain. In this paper, we first outline the recent research on the neurocognitive basis of the self and highlight a key distinction between two forms of self-representation. The first is the ''bodily'' self, which is thought to be the basis of subjective experience and is grounded in the processing of sensorimotor signals. The second is the ''conceptual'' self, which develops through our interactions of other and is formed of a rich network of associative and semantic information. We then investigate how both the bodily and conceptual self are related to social cognition with an emphasis on how self-representations are involved in the processing and creation of prejudice. We then highlight new research demonstrating that the bodily and conceptual self are both malleable and that this malleability can be harnessed in order to achieve a reduction in social prejudice. In particular, we will outline strong evidence that modulating people's perceptions of the bodily self can lead to changes in attitudes at the conceptual level. We will highlight a series of studies demonstrating that social attitudes towards various social out-groups (e.g. racial groups) can lead to a reduction in prejudice towards that group. Finally, we seek to place these findings in a broader social context by considering how innovations in virtual reality technology can allow experiences of taking on another's identity are likely to become both more commonplace and more convincing in the future and the various opportunities and risks associated with using such technology to reduce prejudice.

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Priming or Proteus Effect? Examining the Effects of Avatar Race on In-Game Behavior and Post-Play Aggressive Cognition and Affect in Video Games

Cited by 60 publications

References 34 publications

Acting your avatar’s age: effects of virtual reality avatar embodiment on real life walking speed

Acting your avatar’s age: effects of virtual reality avatar embodiment on real life walking speed

Learning Empathy Through Virtual Reality: Multiple Strategies for Training Empathy-Related Abilities Using Body Ownership Illusions in Embodied Virtual Reality

Putting Ourselves in Another’s Skin: Using the Plasticity of Self-Perception to Enhance Empathy and Decrease Prejudice

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