Comparing avatar and video representations

Ralph Schroeder

pp. 235-251

in: Anna Peachey, Mark Childs (eds), Reinventing ourselves, Berlin, Springer, 2011

Abstract

The key to collaboration and enjoyment in virtual worlds is interpersonal interaction, which in turn depends to a large extent on bodily representations of users – or their avatar appearance. Videoconferencing is also becoming more ­popular, and people also increasingly represent themselves online via photographs on social networking sites. Thus we confront a world in which avatar and photo-realistic (video) identities present a fundamental choice for users in mediated interactions. What difference does it make whether a person is represented by an avatar – as against a video-realistic presentation – of themselves? And what are the implications for how people interact with each other in spaces for collaboration, learning, socialising and play? This chapter examines the range of avatar representations and representations in video-mediated communication and discusses the various findings related to both. It also draws out the implications of video-realistic versus computer-generated user representations for the future of mediated interaction.