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Work vs. Leisure – Differences in Avatar Characteristics Depending on Social Situations

Published: 20 October 2023 Publication History
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  • Abstract

    User avatars are a critical component in collaborative Virtual Environments. A multitude of tools exist, employing various avatar types for self-representation and the representation of others. However, the optimal appearance for these avatars remains unclear. Consumer applications predominantly utilize stylized avatars, which are less prevalent in enterprise sectors. To investigate users’ avatar preferences, we conducted three user studies in both non-immersive and immersive environments, exploring whether social contexts influence virtual self-avatar selection. We generated individual avatars based on photographs of 91 participants, comprising 71 employees in the automotive industry and 20 individuals external to the company. Our findings indicate that work situations, irrespective of the occupational domain, significantly impact self-avatar choices. Conversely, we observed no correlation between the display medium or personality dimensions and avatar selection. Drawing upon our results, we provide recommendations for future avatar representation in work environments.

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    • (2024)Knowledge Work on Airplanes: Challenges, Workarounds, and Design ImplicationsExtended Abstracts of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613905.3650873(1-7)Online publication date: 11-May-2024

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        cover image ACM Other conferences
        VINCI '23: Proceedings of the 16th International Symposium on Visual Information Communication and Interaction
        September 2023
        308 pages
        ISBN:9798400707513
        DOI:10.1145/3615522
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        Published: 20 October 2023

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        Author Tags

        1. avatars
        2. user study
        3. virtual reality

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        • Funded by Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) under Germany's Excellence Strategy - EXC 2075 ? 390740016. We acknowledge the support by the Stuttgart Center for Simulation Science (SimTech). Grammarly was used to help improve grammar and style of the text.

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        • (2024)Knowledge Work on Airplanes: Challenges, Workarounds, and Design ImplicationsExtended Abstracts of the 2024 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems10.1145/3613905.3650873(1-7)Online publication date: 11-May-2024

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