The Effect of Viewer Perceptions of Avatar Anthropomorphism and Realism on Judgments of Credibility and Homophily, and Avatar Choice

Avatars, or digital representations of others are inreasingly used in a variety of online interactions and interfaces. The current study investigated the role of avatars, and people’s perceptions of them, in the processing of information and source attribution online. Results replicate previous findings that the visual characteristics of the avatar are not as influential as people’s perceptions, and categorizations, of the avatars on outcome variables. Results show that perceptions avatar anthropomorphism and realism influence judgments about homophily and avatar credibility, as well as judgments about the credibility of the source of the communication and the likelihood of choosing the avatar as a representation. Theoretical and practical implications of the variance between actual and perceived variation in characteristics of the avatar are discussed.

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