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Avatars and computer-mediated communication: a review of the definitions, uses, and effects of digital representations
[journal article]
dc.contributor.author | Nowak, Kristine L. | de |
dc.contributor.author | Fox, Jesse | de |
dc.date.accessioned | 2018-02-08T10:40:54Z | |
dc.date.available | 2018-02-08T10:40:54Z | |
dc.date.issued | 2018 | de |
dc.identifier.issn | 2255-4165 | de |
dc.identifier.uri | https://www.ssoar.info/ssoar/handle/document/55777 | |
dc.description.abstract | Avatars are growing in popularity and present in many interfaces used for computer-mediated communication (CMC) including social media, e-commerce, and education. Communication researchers have been investigating avatars for over twenty years, and an examination of this literature reveals similarities but also notable discrepancies in conceptual definitions. The goal of this review is to provide a general overview of current debates, methodological approaches, and trends in findings. Our review synthesizes previous research in four areas. First, we examine how scholars have conceptualized the term “avatar,” identify similarities and differences across these definitions, and recommend that scholars use the term consistently. Next, we review theoretical perspectives relevant to avatar perception (e.g., the computers as social actors framework). Then, we examine avatar characteristics that communicators use to discern the humanity and social potential of an avatar (anthropomorphism, form realism, behavioral realism, and perceived agency) and discuss implications for attributions and communication outcomes. We also review findings on the social categorization of avatars, such as when people apply categories like sex, gender, race, and ethnicity to their evaluations of digital representations. Finally, we examine research on avatar selection and design relevant to communication outcomes. Here, we review both motivations in CMC contexts (such as self-presentation and identity expression) and potential effects (e.g., persuasion). We conclude with a discussion of future directions for avatar research and propose that communication researchers consider avatars not just as a topic of study, but also as a tool for testing theories and understanding critical elements of human communication. Avatar mediated environments provide researchers with a number of advantageous technological affordances that can enable manipulations that may be difficult or inadvisable to execute in natural environments. We conclude by discussing the use of avatar research to extend communication theory and our understanding of communication processes. | en |
dc.language | en | de |
dc.subject.ddc | Publizistische Medien, Journalismus,Verlagswesen | de |
dc.subject.ddc | News media, journalism, publishing | en |
dc.subject.other | avatars; perception; digital environments; video games; social actors; anthropomorphism; human-computer interaction; | de |
dc.title | Avatars and computer-mediated communication: a review of the definitions, uses, and effects of digital representations | de |
dc.description.review | begutachtet (peer reviewed) | de |
dc.description.review | peer reviewed | en |
dc.source.journal | Review of Communication Research | |
dc.source.volume | 6 | de |
dc.publisher.country | ESP | |
dc.subject.classoz | interaktive, elektronische Medien | de |
dc.subject.classoz | Interactive, electronic Media | en |
dc.subject.classoz | Allgemeines, spezielle Theorien und Schulen, Methoden, Entwicklung und Geschichte der Kommunikationswissenschaften | de |
dc.subject.classoz | Basic Research, General Concepts and History of the Science of Communication | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | computervermittelte Kommunikation | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | computer-mediated communication | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Digitale Medien | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | digital media | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Computerspiel | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | computer game | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Repräsentation | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | representation | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Selbstdarstellung | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | self-presentation | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Identität | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | identity | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | virtuelle Realität | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | virtual reality | en |
dc.subject.thesoz | Kommunikationsverhalten | de |
dc.subject.thesoz | communication behavior | en |
dc.identifier.urn | urn:nbn:de:0168-ssoar-55777-7 | |
dc.rights.licence | Creative Commons - Namensnennung, Nicht-kommerz. 4.0 | de |
dc.rights.licence | Creative Commons - Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 | en |
ssoar.contributor.institution | University of Connecticut (USA); The Ohio State University (USA) | de |
internal.status | formal und inhaltlich fertig erschlossen | de |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10049294 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10083753 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10058702 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10056648 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10057700 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10046991 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10056015 | |
internal.identifier.thesoz | 10049363 | |
dc.type.stock | article | de |
dc.type.document | Zeitschriftenartikel | de |
dc.type.document | journal article | en |
dc.source.pageinfo | 30-53 | de |
internal.identifier.classoz | 1080404 | |
internal.identifier.classoz | 10801 | |
internal.identifier.journal | 448 | |
internal.identifier.document | 32 | |
internal.identifier.ddc | 070 | |
dc.identifier.doi | https://doi.org/10.12840/issn.2255-4165.2018.06.01.015 | de |
dc.description.pubstatus | Veröffentlichungsversion | de |
dc.description.pubstatus | Published Version | en |
internal.identifier.licence | 32 | |
internal.identifier.pubstatus | 1 | |
internal.identifier.review | 1 | |
dc.subject.classhort | 20400 | de |
dc.subject.classhort | 10800 | de |
dc.subject.classhort | 10216 | de |
dc.subject.classhort | 29900 | de |
internal.pdf.version | 1.4 | |
internal.pdf.valid | true | |
internal.pdf.wellformed | true | |
internal.check.abstractlanguageharmonizer | CERTAIN | |
internal.check.languageharmonizer | CERTAIN_RETAINED |
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Allgemeines, spezielle Theorien und "Schulen", Methoden, Entwicklung und Geschichte der Kommunikationswissenschaften
Basic Research, General Concepts and History of the Science of Communication -
Interaktive, elektronische Medien
Interactive, electronic Media