The avatar shadow passenger: Physiological effects of self-presence after disconnection from the avatar.

The present article examines the role of self-presence in the ways that people feel connected to their avatars after avatar use, thereby contributing to an understanding of how people are influenced by avatar use even when they are no longer using their avatars. Physiological measures of arousal (heart rate) and emotional valence (facial muscle movement) were taken after avatar use, while participants watched, without controlling, their avatars in a context where the avatars received negative treatment. The comparison of these measures to self-reported feelings of connection to their avatars (i.e., self-presence) suggests that people are more strongly affected by their avatars after avatar use when they develop greater emotion- or identity-level, but not body-level connections to their avatars during avatar use. These findings are relevant to a growing body of research on avatar use effects as well as to the development of virtual worlds and video games. The paper describes some of these implications and suggests future work based on the present findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]