Affective Embodiment: The effect of avatar appearance and posture representation on emotions in VR

PubDate: May 2020

Teams: Cornell University

Writers: Swati Pandita

PDF: Affective Embodiment: The effect of avatar appearance and posture representation on emotions in VR

Abstract

Avatar embodiment allows for the study of self-perception. Avatars can communicate an identity through appearance customization, and signal an emotional state through facial expression and body posture. Following these ideas, I have developed two lines of research to study the experience of avatar embodiment on mental health. In one, I explore how avatar representation intersects with identity. I examine how issues with equitable representation in avatar customization affects users. In the second, I explore the potential of embodied VR to affect emotional states. I manipulate how avatar postures are represented and examine the effects on user’s emotional states. Overall, my research asks what kinds of emotions and values are avatars capable of communicating and how that can affect an individual’s experience of a virtual world and be translated into therapeutic interventions.