How Socially Relevant Visual Characteristics of Avatars Influence Impression Formation

2010 ◽  
Vol 22 (1) ◽  
pp. 37-43 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Weibel ◽  
Daniel Stricker ◽  
Bartholomäus Wissmath ◽  
Fred W. Mast
Keyword(s):  
Impression Formation ◽  
Pupil Size ◽  
Conscious Perception ◽  
Viewing Angle ◽  
Frontal View ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
First Impression ◽  
Visual Characteristics ◽  
Socially Relevant ◽  
Blink Frequency

Like in the real world, the first impression a person leaves in a computer-mediated environment depends on his or her online appearance. The present study manipulates an avatar’s pupil size, eyeblink frequency, and the viewing angle to investigate whether nonverbal visual characteristics are responsible for the impression made. We assessed how participants (N = 56) evaluate these avatars in terms of different attributes. The findings show that avatars with large pupils and slow eye blink frequency are perceived as more sociable and more attractive. Compared to avatars seen in full frontal view or from above, avatars seen from below were rated as most sociable, self-confident, and attractive. Moreover, avatars’ pupil size and eyeblink frequency escape the viewer’s conscious perception but still influence how people evaluate them. The findings have wide-ranging applied implications for avatar design.

Impression Formation in Computer-Mediated Communication and Making a Good (Virtual) Impression

2009 ◽  
pp. 1837-1848
Author(s):  
Jamie S. Switzer
Keyword(s):  
Impression Formation ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Nonverbal Cues ◽  
Online Environment ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Linguistic Cues

In face-to-face interactions, people generally form impressions by focusing on a variety of nonverbal cues. Increasingly, however, people are communicating virtually and forming impressions based on mediated interactions. In an online environment, the range of nonverbal cues that normally aid in impression formation is drastically narrowed. In the absence of these nonverbal cues, forming impressions via computer-mediated communication places a greater emphasis on verbal (text-based) and linguistic cues. This chapter offers strategies to ensure virtual workers make a good impression on their clients and colleagues when interacting online.

Participation Patterns and Impression Formation in Three Communications Media

1997 ◽  
Vol 41 (2) ◽  
pp. 762-766
Author(s):  
Jana M. Price ◽  
R. James Holzworth
Keyword(s):  
Social Status ◽  
Impression Formation ◽  
Medium Effect ◽  
Communication Behaviors ◽  
Communications Media ◽  
Face To Face ◽  
Media Type ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Status Cues ◽  
Computer Mediated Communications

As the use of computer-mediated communications (CMC) in organizations continues to grow, questions arise about how communication behaviors are affected by media type. Several studies have noted that participation is more balanced in CMC than in face-to-face settings. This equalization phenomenon is said to occur due to a reduction in social status cues (e.g. style of dress) in the CMC environment. In the present study, 130 mock employment interviews in three communications media (CMC, telephone, and face-to-face) were compared. Participation levels of speakers were observed, as well as the impressions formed by interviewers of applicants. A significant communications medium effect for the percentage of words used by the interviewer provided support for the equalization phenomenon. No significant results were detected for impression formation in the three media.

scholarly journals First Impression Formation Based on Valenced Self-Disclosure in Social Media Profiles

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuren Qin ◽  
Hichang Cho ◽  
Pengxiang Li ◽  
Lianshan Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Media ◽  
Impression Formation ◽  
Online Experiment ◽  
Self Disclosure ◽  
The Social ◽  
First Impression ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms

This study aims to understand how the valence of self-disclosure (operationalized as the dominantly positive vs. balanced vs. dominantly negative social media posts of a future collaborator) influences first impression formation on social media. We also focus on trustworthiness as a mediator and perceived homophily as a moderator to specify the underlying mechanisms through which self-disclosure valence affects first impression formation. The results from an online experiment (N = 204) suggest that self-disclosure valence has a significant effect on perceived trustworthiness and likability when individuals evaluate an unknown future collaborator using the social media profile. Trustworthiness mediates the effect of self-disclosure valence on likability when the individuals feel that they are dissimilar or even slightly similar to strangers. At that time, individuals tend to seek cues from both self-disclosure valence and perceived homophily to form the trustworthiness perception, and the influence of self-disclosure depends on the level of perceived homophily.

scholarly journals Linguistic Style Accommodation Shapes Impression Formation and Rapport in Computer-Mediated Communication

2017 ◽  
Vol 36 (5) ◽  
pp. 525-548 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kate Muir ◽  
Adam Joinson ◽  
Rachel Cotterill ◽  
Nigel Dewdney
Keyword(s):  
Low Power ◽  
Impression Formation ◽  
Social Power ◽  
Instant Messaging ◽  
Computer Mediated Communication ◽  
Mediated Communication ◽  
Linguistic Style ◽  
Computer Mediated ◽  
Power Role ◽  
Interpersonal Impressions

Communication accommodation theory predicts that social power plays an important role in influencing communicative behaviors. Previous research suggests these effects extend to linguistic style, thought to be a nonconscious aspect of communication. Here, we explore if these effects hold when individuals converse using a medium limited in personal cues, computer-mediated communication. We manipulated social power in instant messaging conversations and measured subsequent interpersonal impressions. Low power induced greater likelihood of linguistic style accommodation, across between- (Study 1) and within-subjects (Study 2) experiments. Accommodation by those in a low-power role had no impact on impressions formed by their partner. In contrast, linguistic style accommodation by individuals in a high-power role was associated with negative interpersonal impressions formed by their lower power partner. The results show robust effects of power in shaping language use across computer-mediated communication. Furthermore, the interpersonal effects of linguistic accommodation depend on the conversational norms of the social context.

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