Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior

The creation and expression of identity (or of multiple identities) in immersive computer-mediated environments (CMEs) is rapidly transforming consumer behavior. The various social networking and gaming sites have millions of registered users worldwide, and major corporations are beginning to attempt to reach and entice the growing flood of consumers occupying these virtual worlds. Despite this huge potential, however, experts know very little about the best way to talk to consumers in these online environments. How will well-established research findings from the offline world transfer to CMEs? That's where'Virtual Social Identity and Consumer Behavior'comes in. Written by two of the leading experts in the field, it presents cutting-edge academic research on virtual social identity, explores consumer behavior in virtual worlds, and offers important implications for marketers interested in working in these environments. The book provides special insight into the largest and fastest growing group of users - kids and teens. There is no better source for understanding the impact of virtual social identities on consumers, consumer behavior, and electronic commerce. Half-title ......Page 2 Title ......Page 4 Copyright ......Page 5 Contents ......Page 6 Introduction: Virtual Social Identity: Welcome to the Metaverse ......Page 8 What Are the Public Policy Implications for Virtuality? ......Page 10 How Should Advertisers Employ Avatars as Spokespersons? ......Page 11 How Does Virtual Social Identity Influence Group Dynamics—and Vice Versa? ......Page 12 Taking It from Here ......Page 13 References ......Page 14 PART I. The Virtual Experience ......Page 18 1. I, Avatar: Auto-Netnographic Research in Virtual Worlds ......Page 20 Virtual Worlds and Cultural Inquiry ......Page 21 From Ethnography to Netnography to Auto-Netnography ......Page 24 Auto-Netnography in Virtual Worlds ......Page 26 Re-Worlding ......Page 29 Re-Embodiment ......Page 30 Multiperspectivality ......Page 31 In -World and Inconclusive ......Page 33 References ......Page 34 Metaverses, Growing Consumption, and Lack of Academic Research ......Page 37 Conceptual Map of a Multidisciplinary Research Object ......Page 38 Metaverses as Postmodern Consumption ......Page 45 The Study of Avatars to Explore Experiential Consumption in the Metaverse ......Page 48 References ......Page 53 PART II. Consumer Behavior in Virtual Worlds ......Page 58 3. Interaction Seeking in Second Life and Implications for Consumer Behavior ......Page 60 The World of Second Life ......Page 61 Why Enter Second Life? ......Page 66 Conclusion ......Page 74 References ......Page 75 4. I Don’t Know You, But I Trust You: A Comparative Study of Consumer Perceptions in Real-Life and Virtual Worlds ......Page 78 A Background on the Impact of Communication in Virtual Environments ......Page 80 Investigating the Credibility of eWOM ......Page 81 Sample ......Page 84 Results ......Page 85 Discussion and Conclusion ......Page 86 References ......Page 88 5. Social Interaction with Virtual Beings: The Technology Relationship Interaction Model and Its Agenda for Research ......Page 90 Background: Advantages and Drawbacks of Using Avatars in e-Tailing ......Page 91 The Social Nature of Avatar Interaction ......Page 92 Exploring the Propositions ......Page 96 A Mechanism for Reactions to Avatars: Toward the Technology Relationship Interaction Model? ......Page 99 Conclusions and Implications ......Page 103 References ......Page 106 6. Personalized Avatar: A New Way to Improve Communication and E-Service ......Page 110 Literature Review ......Page 111 Methodology ......Page 115 Results ......Page 117 Discussion and Conclusions ......Page 119 References ......Page 122 Theoretical Framework ......Page 126 Methodology ......Page 128 Analysis and Findings ......Page 129 Discussion and Implications ......Page 136 Concluding Thoughts and Directions for Future Research ......Page 137 References ......Page 139 PART III. Avatar Creation and Appearance ......Page 142 Self-Development ......Page 144 The Interpersonal Self: Gender Concept and Peer Relationships ......Page 145 Electronic Games and Identity Exploration: New Opportunities for the Developing Self ......Page 146 The Rise of Avatars ......Page 147 Character Identification ......Page 148 Findings: The Stages of Virtual Social Identity ......Page 149 Conclusion ......Page 155 References ......Page 156 Literature Review ......Page 158 Methods ......Page 162 Results ......Page 168 Discussion ......Page 170 Limitations ......Page 171 References ......Page 172 PART IV. Person Perceptions in Virtual Worlds ......Page 174 Avatars and Anthropomorphic Agents ......Page 176 Distinctiveness Principle as a Theoretical Framework ......Page 178 Study 1 Method ......Page 181 Study 1 Results ......Page 185 Study 2 Introduction ......Page 188 Study 2 Method ......Page 190 General Conclusion ......Page 194 References ......Page 195 11. Ethnic Matching: An Examination of Ethnic Morphing in Advertising ......Page 198 Digital Morphing ......Page 199 Effect of Ethnic Morph ......Page 201 Method ......Page 202 Results ......Page 204 Discussion ......Page 205 References ......Page 207 12. Mirror, Mirror on the Web: Understanding Thin-Slice Judgments of Avatars ......Page 209 Thin-Slice Judgment Formation: Judging Avatars ......Page 210 Summary ......Page 216 Conclusion ......Page 219 Appendix 12.1. Proposed Future Research to Investigate Thin-Slice Judgments of Avatars ......Page 220 References ......Page 221 Name Index ......Page 224 Subject Index ......Page 232 About the Editors and Contributors ......Page 240 The Creation And Expression Of Identity (or Of Multiple Identities) In Immersive Environments Is Rapidly Transforming Consumer Behavior. The Largest Social Networking Site, Second Life, And The Gaming-oriented Site, World Of Warcraft, Have Tens Of Millions Of Registered Users ... (real Life) Companies ... Are Staking Their Claim To Computer-mediated Environments ... Such As Second Life ... [in] An Attempt To Reach And Entice The Growing Flood Of Consumers Occupying These Virtual Worlds. I, Avatar : Auto-netnographic Research In Virtual Worlds / Robert V. Kozinets, Richard Kedzior -- For A Better Exploration Of Metaverses As Consumer Experiences / Leila El Kamel -- Interaction Seeking In Second Life And Implications For Consumer Behavior / Christian Hinsch, Peter H. Bloch -- I Don't Know You, But I Trust You : A Comparative Study Of Consumer Perceptions In Real-life And Virtual Worlds / James E. Brown, Tracy L. Tuten -- Social Interaction With Virtual Beings : The Technology Relationship Interaction Model And Its Agenda For Research / Kathy Keeling ... [et Al.] -- Personalized Avatar : A New Way To Improve Communication And E-service / David Crete ... [et Al.] -- The Sacred And The Profane In Online Gaming : A Netnographic Inquiry Of Chinese Gamers / Jeff Wang, Xin Zhao, Gary J. Bamossy -- Finding Mii : Virtual Social Identity And The Young Consumer / J. Alison Bryant, Anna Akerman -- Me, Myself, And My Avatar : The Effects Of Avatars On Snw (social Networking) Users' Attitudes Toward A Website And Its Ad Content / Youjeong Kim, S. Shyam Sundar -- Effects Of Ethnic Identity And Ethnic Ambiguous Agents On Consumer Response To Websites / Osei Appiah, Troy Elias -- Ethnic Matching : An Examination Of Ethnic Morphing In Advertising / Yuliya Lutchyn ... [et Al.] -- Mirror, Mirror On The Web : Understanding Thin-slice Judgments Of Avatars / Melissa G. Bublitz, Craig C. Claybaugh, Laura A. Peracchio. Natalie T. Wood And Michael R. Solomon, Editors. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes.