Consumer trust in 3D virtual worlds and its impact on real world purchase intention

2015 ◽  
Vol 6 (4) ◽  
pp. 381-400 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yan Peng ◽  
Dan Ke
Keyword(s):  
Social Presence ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Purchase Intention ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Online Trust ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Virtual Prototypes ◽  
3D Virtual World

Purpose – This paper examines the three-dimensional (3D)virtual world users’ perceptions of authenticity and trustworthiness in the virtual prototypes and users’ potential purchase behavior in the real-world settings. The 3D virtual worlds provide a new platform that exhibits virtual prototypes as a promotion channel for new products of real-world and online service, where users can communicate “face to face” via their representative avatars. Design/methodology/approach – The authors conducted an experiment in Second Life and collected data in a post-study questionnaire to test our proposed conceptual model. Structural equation modeling was the main methodology. Findings – The research results showed that 3D virtual world users obtained a high sense of telepresence and social presence. The sense of telepresence positively leads to users’ perceptions of online trust in the virtual prototypes and thus increases their intention to purchase real-world objects; the users’ sense of social presence positively associates to their perceptions of authenticity and online trust and, therefore, their purchase intention. Research limitations/implications – In survey research, the common method variance is a problem. A more robust way is to use objective measures. Practical implications – A new channel was proposed for businesses to enhance their online strategies that will increase their business value. Social implications – 3D virtual world is also a cutting-edge platform for remote education, public information service, etc. Originality/value – This paper initially contributes to the literature that interprets underlying factors in 3D virtual worlds associated to purchase intention in real-world objects. We demonstrated the advantages, i.e. the communication efficacy and vivid virtual design in the 3D user-generated environment.

Knowledge Creation and Student Engagement Within 3D Virtual Worlds

2018 ◽  
pp. 507-525
Author(s):  
Brian G. Burton ◽  
Barbara Martin
Keyword(s):  
Student Engagement ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Knowledge Creation ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Learning Task ◽  
Knowledge Conversion ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
3D Virtual World ◽  
Knowledge Spiral

Examined in this 3D Virtual World case study was undergraduate student engagement on a learning task and student creation of knowledge. After creating a 3D didactic constructivist virtual world, student conversations were recorded for analysis using Hara, Bonk, and Angeli's (2000) engagement framework and Nonaka and Takeuchi's (1995) knowledge creation theory. The five forms of student engagement augmented the learning process and a complete knowledge spiral was documented, emphasizing the use of the four modes of knowledge conversion. Though limited in time and scope, results further suggest that a highly engaged community of learners was created.

Virtual World Professionals and the Interloper Effect in 3D Virtual Worlds

2011 ◽  
pp. 321-336 ◽  
Author(s):  
Victoria McArthur
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Social Stigma ◽  
Specific Mechanism ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Or Organization ◽  
A Company

In this chapter we discuss virtual world professionals: real world employees deployed in virtual worlds for the purpose of representing a company or organization there. We investigate the notions of belonging and community in 3D virtual worlds, and identify the ways in which “belonging” and “not belonging” are constructed and perceived, especially in relation to so-called employee avatars. We explore the dimension of social stigma in virtual worlds and discuss the utility of the separate categories of outsiders and interlopers for inhabitant characterization. Our motivation for doing so is to determine the degree to which corporate presence can be mediated through the specific mechanism of employee avatar appearance. In considering the possibility that some employee avatars may be perceived as interlopers, we propose three methods for investigating the effect of their presence in virtual worlds, called the “interloper effect.”

Impact of Flow and Brand Equity in 3D Virtual Worlds

2010 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 69-89 ◽  
Author(s):  
Fiona Fui-Hoon Nah ◽  
Brenda Eschenbrenner ◽  
David DeWester ◽  
So Ra Park
Keyword(s):  
Brand Equity ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Behavioral Intention ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Theoretical Foundation ◽  
Flow Experience ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
3D Virtual World ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship

This research is a partial test of Park et al.’s (2008) model to assess the impact of flow and brand equity in 3D virtual worlds. It draws on flow theory as its main theoretical foundation to understand and empirically assess the impact of flow on brand equity and behavioral intention in 3D virtual worlds. The findings suggest that the balance of skills and challenges in 3D virtual worlds influences users’ flow experience, which in turn influences brand equity. Brand equity then increases behavioral intention. The authors also found that the impact of flow on behavioral intention in 3D virtual worlds is indirect because the relationship between them is mediated by brand equity. This research highlights the importance of balancing the challenges posed by 3D virtual world branding sites with the users’ skills to maximize their flow experience and brand equity to increase the behavioral intention associated with the brand.

scholarly journals The P.R.O.S.E. (Psychological Research on Synthetic Environments) Project: Conducting In-World Psychological Research on 3D Virtual Worlds

1970 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Richard L Gilbert
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Subjective Experience ◽  
Psychological Research ◽  
Future Directions ◽  
Web Based ◽  
The Real ◽  
3D Virtual Worlds ◽  
Core Questions

The P.R.O.S.E. (Psychological Research on Synthetic Environments) Project was established to investigate the psychology of 3D virtual worlds. Under the auspices of the project, a systematic program of in-world behavioral research is being conducted that addresses three core questions related to the psychology of 3D immersive environments: What are the characteristics of active participants in virtual worlds? Do the principles of psychology that operate in the real world also apply to the virtual world? Do experiences in the virtual world have the capacity to influence behavior and subjective experience in the real world? The current paper describes a series of studies that examine each of these questions and outlines future directions for the project. If projections for a highly populated, ubiquitously accessible (web-based), and seamlessly integrated (interoperable) network of virtual worlds are borne out, a new realm of psychological reality and interaction will have been created that will be increasingly important for behavioral scientists to investigate and understand.

Prior knowledge: the role of virtual worlds in venture creation

2014 ◽  
Vol 21 (3) ◽  
pp. 403-413 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah Noke ◽  
Thomas Chesney
Keyword(s):  
Prior Knowledge ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Nascent Entrepreneurs ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Start Up ◽  
Business Simulations ◽  
Virtual Business

Purpose – Creating a new business often ends in failure arguably the more knowledge of the start-up process an entrepreneur has the more successful the outcome. Whilst business simulations have been researched, the role of virtual worlds in aiding nascent entrepreneurs in gaining important experiential learning is lacking. The paper aims to discuss these issues. Design/methodology/approach – This qualitative research involved six months observational data, with nine in-depth semistructured interviews with the small business owners based in the virtual world Second Life. Findings – The findings highlight important similarities between “real world” and “virtual world” businesses. The nascent entrepreneurs reported a sense of running the business as any other business. The level of risk, in terms of capital, for setting up a virtual business is far less than the real world. However, risks are still associated with a virtual business with entrepreneurs investing time to run the business. Originality/value – The findings of this study provide important insight into how prior knowledge can be gained through participating in “real” business activities, other than business simulations. Virtual worlds provide can play an important role in aiding nascent entrepreneurs to gain important prior knowledge of the start-up process, that the authors can anticipate will aid the entrepreneur in further ventures.

Brand extension evaluation: real world and virtual world

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (7) ◽  
pp. 504-515 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jayasankar Ramanathan ◽  
Keyoor Purani
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Brand Extension ◽  
New Product ◽  
Brand Extensions ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Consumer Evaluation ◽  
The Real ◽  
The World

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to help marketing scholars view virtual worlds as new product–markets and trigger serious investigations on consumer evaluation of brand extensions when a brand is extended from the real world to a virtual world and vice versa. Design/methodology/approach – The paper makes an extensive review of studies on virtual world. Further, it amalgamates understanding from well-established literature on consumer evaluation of brand extensions into the emerging virtual world understanding to conceptualize moderating influence of contexts – the real world context and a virtual world context – on how consumers evaluate brand extensions. Findings – Through logical arguments supported by existing literature, the paper provides 14 well-conceptualized propositions that argue that the real world and virtual world contexts moderate the well-established relationships in brand extension literature. It broadly proposes that the relationships between the consumer evaluations of brand extension and its known determinants are stronger in case of within-the-world extensions and weaker in case of across-the-world extensions. Research limitations/implications – The paper introduces to the marketing scholars an entirely new area of enquiry as it challenges the known brand extension knowledge when a brand is extended across the worlds. Practical implications – Marketers considering launching new offerings across the contexts of real or virtual world would have implications on whether to extend the brand or not. Originality/value – Virtual worlds have largely been construed in marketing literature as fictional worlds. There is not much explored in terms of virtual worlds as new product–markets. The study offers unique value in conceptualizing differences among within-the-world brand extensions and across-the-world brand extensions.

scholarly journals Language Learning in Virtual Worlds: The Role of Foreign Language and Technical Anxiety

2013 ◽  
Vol 6 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Scott John Grant ◽  
Hui Huang ◽  
Sarah E. Pasfield-Neofitou
Keyword(s):  
Foreign Language ◽  
Language Learning ◽  
Virtual Environments ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
The Real ◽  
Learner Performance ◽  
3D Virtual World

This project examines whether or not learners feel less foreign language anxiety (FLA) in an online multiuser 3D virtual world simulation than in the real world classroom. Previous research has shown FLA to have negative effects on learner performance and learning outcomes. Research into learning in virtual worlds has indicated that performance anxiety may be lessened in these environments, however, the use of such virtual environments also places demands on the learner to develop a range of technical skills to facilitate interaction. The project examines whether or not learners feel less FLA in an online multiuser 3D virtual world simulation than in the real world classroom and also attempts to establish what impacts these demands have on learner performance and FLA. This work-in-progress paper, on the basis of preliminary analysis, has found 1) there are multiple sources of FLA in both classroom and virtual environments; 2) students found the virtual environment less stressful in terms of language use and 3) there was not a significant inherent level of technical related anxiety.

The Third Culture

2017 ◽  
pp. 318-330 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsiao-Cheng (Sandrine) Han
Keyword(s):  
Visual Culture ◽  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Research Question ◽  
Third Culture ◽  
The Real ◽  
Main Research ◽  
The Third ◽  
Culture Education

The purpose of this research is to improve the understanding of how users of online virtual worlds learn and/or relearn ‘culture' through the use of visual components. The goal of this research is to understand if culturally and historically authentic imagery is necessary for users to understand the virtual world; how virtual world residents form and reform their virtual culture; and whether the visual culture in the virtual world is imported from the real world, colonized by any dominate culture, or assimilated into a new culture. The main research question is: Is the authenticity of cultural imagery important to virtual world residents? This research investigates whether visual culture awareness can help students develop a better understanding of visual culture in the real world, and whether this awareness can help educators construct better curricula and pedagogy for visual culture education.

Why Virtual Worlds Matter

2010 ◽  
pp. 198-202
Author(s):  
Angela Adrian
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
The World

To return to the quote which began this book, what is man? He has existence. He uses his faculties to improve his existence. He assimilates the world around him. Bastiat labelled these personality, liberty and property. What is an avatar but a manifestation of self beyond the realm of the physical? He has existence in a virtual world. He has a distinct personality. The avatar must use his faculties to improve his existence. He must level himself into a more powerful character to survive in his virtual world. He must have the liberty to become what he wants or needs to become. The avatar assimilates the world around him. By questing and click slavery, an avatar can acquire property. Personality, liberty and property are intrinsic traits of avatars as well as men. And they exist whether laws have been passed by governments or game companies. If there is a world to exist in, then these traits exist and men will want to set limits on them. Gaming identities are becoming indistinguishable from ‘real’ identities – just as e-commerce has become indistinguishable from ‘commerce’. Control over these online avatar identities has real-world consequences. As soon as something is valuable and persistent, people seek to associate rights and duties with it. The questions posed in this book revolved around the ideas of personality (personhood, identity), liberty (freedom v servitude), and property (copyright and intangible property).

A Policy Game in a Virtual World

2011 ◽  
pp. 910-927
Author(s):  
Martha Garcia-Murillo ◽  
Ian MacInnes
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Worlds ◽  
Real World ◽  
Virtual World ◽  
Policy Game ◽  
Electronic Environments ◽  
Learning Principles ◽  
Real World Situation

Advances in computing and telecommunications make it possible to take advantage of immersive electronic environments to deliver content. In this chapter we present a policy game to be used in a virtual world. The benefits of this tool are examined using Gee’s learning principles. From this analysis we find that games in virtual worlds enable reflective exploration that helps participants learn from their mistakes. Learning takes place from the content conveyed through the game and through the multimedia immersion that allows students to learn the nuances of these virtual contexts. Because there are no realworld consequences, participants can take risks, provide or receive help from other students, and most importantly, apply this knowledge to a real-world situation. Recommendations are provided to educators to help them exploit the great potential of games while being prepared for the obstacles they will face.

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