Study of Human Avatars Communication Mechanics in Virtual Reality.

An Avatar is a graphical representation of a user in the virtual world. In the physical world, we communicate with the help of words and gestures. But in the virtual world, Avatars do the job for us. Life-like Avatars are being developed and infused with applications we use daily, like Snapchat and Instagram. 

“Bitmoji” from Snapchat records a user’s facial features, from skin tone down to the texture of their hair. After processing the user’s details, the parts of the Bitmoji Avatar can be altered according to the user’s likes. These personalized emojis can convey our replies and reactions to a text or snap; this has revolutionized communication on a more personal level and has embodied the users on an artificial platform. 

People who have met in real life judge others based on the several outward projections of the individual’s personality. How does this essential social interaction happen over the internet? How do avatars help personalize the virtual meet-up? 

Study of Human Avatars Communication Mechanics in Virtual Reality: 

Anthropomorphism, or assigning human characteristics to animals or objects, influences how people interact with virtual avatars. In an experiment where participants interacted with anthropomorphic avatars alongside human avatars, the deciding factor for interaction often boiled down to the greeting messages each avatar presented. Surprisingly, even if avatars resembled animals with human-like features, the choice of avatars wasn’t solely based on appearance. Rather, it was the content of their greeting messages that mattered, even if some contained profanities. 

Communication in virtual spaces isn’t just about appearances; clothing, accessories, and the ambience also play crucial roles. Studies suggest that even the dressing style and fashion sense of avatars affect communication, while “agreeable and normative” avatars experience increased interaction. This indicates that virtual representations can have real social consequences. 

The phenomenon of avatar-self merging, where individuals feel a merging of identity with their avatar, further complicates matters. This merging can enhance work efficiency in virtual tasks, as individuals feel a sense of entitlement over their avatar’s actions. 

Like in the real world, communication is essential in virtual platforms for establishing trust and connections. For instance, in virtual job interviews conducted via avatars, candidates must demonstrate their integrity and capability through both verbal and non-verbal cues from their avatars. 

Similarly, forming friendships in virtual environments also relies on effective communication through avatars. Avatars not only facilitate communication but also introduce new challenges in conveying social cues. 

For those looking to excel in augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR), investing in courses like those offered at Monolith Academy can be beneficial for understanding the nuances of communication and interaction in virtual environments. 

Conclusion: 

All these studies lead us to one point – two parties in a virtual platform form friendships based on their avatars. This avatar becomes a part of us and ultimately causes numerous challenges in communication as a consequence. 

Technology is here and is changing by the minute. We should embrace the technology and empower ourselves as Digital Natives in Virtual platforms. Monolith offers an intensive AR/VR course designed to help you create avatars and master using them in the virtual world. There is no better time to utilize this budding technology to leverage your career in technology – begin now!