Poll: Most adults don’t want fantasy avatars
By Eric Reuters
Given the chance to roleplay a furry, robot, or the opposite gender in a virtual world, most adults would choose something that resembles their real world persona, a new poll has found.
Zogby International asked 3,585 adults wide-ranging questions about their attitudes towards technology at the behest of the U.S. Congressional Internet Caucus Advisory Committee. One question centered on virtual worlds. Pollsters asked:
Some people are now participating in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Let’s say you’re creating a virtual you in a virtual world. Would you dramatically alter the avatar’s physical appearance from your own?
| Answer | Respondents | Percent |
|---|---|---|
| I would dramatically alter my physical appearance | 527 | 14.7% |
| Keep me similar but enhance my more masculine or more feminine appearances | 650 | 18.1% |
| Keep me just about the same as I am | 1586 | 44.2% |
| Not sure | 822 | 22.9% |
| — | — | — |
| Total | 3585 | 100.0% |
The poll was taken between Jan. 21 and Jan. 23 and contains a statistical margin of error of +/- 1.7 percent.
Another way to view the data is, only 44% are *unwilling* to experiment with identity in synthetic worlds. That’s actually a shockingly low number - I’d have expected something in the 60s.
If more than half the people surveyed are at least open to experimentation with appearance and identity - and I suspect that percentage is much higher among people actually *in* synthetic worlds, I’d hope that the apparent trend in code, policy and law to force persona unity and transparency might be reversed.
Once, people were who they claimed to be. More and more, people are who their governments, banks and employers define them as being. Synthetic worlds offer us the chance to reclaim identity as self-definition, as a medium for creative, even artistic, expression.
Even this survey shows that the interest is there. Hopefully our power to act on that interest will be enabled, and not suppressed, by the corporate designers of synthetic worlds.
Thu Jan 31, 2008 12:01pm PSTI was not aware of this poll, but my gut was telling me pretty much the same. It does not diminish the value of immersion, but I think that augmentists will by far outnumber immersionists when virtual worlds will become mainstream.
Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:01pm PST“I’d hope that the apparent trend in code, policy and law to force persona unity and transparency might be reversed.”
Unfortunately, caste-systems don’t give way easily. People would rather you just look and act the way the circumstances of your birth dictate you “should”. Count on being called a deviant for thinking that’s wrong.
Thu Jan 31, 2008 6:01pm PSTI think the poll is wholly flawed and Zogby clearly should do more research in virtual worlds before doing more polling.
The glut of problems:
1. “Let’s say you’re creating a virtual you”
That’s begging the question, right there. By saying it’s a “virtual you” they’re implying it should be you. An avatar is not “a virtual you” necessarily. It would be better described as “a character you control”.
2. “in a virtual world.”
Problem 2 is that most people don’t know about virtual worlds and the potential. Does the common person know you could be a pirate? Or a ninja? Or even the opposite sex? Or a dragon? Or a abstract cubist form? I doubt it. This knowledge is paramount to answering the question more accurately with how they would behave.
3. “… dramatically”
This word sets a negative tone in the question. It’s inherently biased by making the frame of reference that changing appearance is “dramatic”, if only in a subconscious way.
4. “alter the avatar’s physical appearance from your own?”
The question, at its heart, is quantitative, and really ought to be qualitative. A better question would have been, “What type of character would you use to represent yourself in a virtual world?” with answers like: “Something that looks like me”, “An idealized body type based on me”, “Something fantastic, like a dragon or animal or robot”, “My favorite cartoon / movie hero”.
I would bet good money the results would be very very different. And I challenge Reuters to test my theory!
Thu Jan 31, 2008 7:01pm PSTI was going to say much the same as Hiro, but he put it so much better. The survey is flawed. The respondants are led by the question to the obvious result - is it any surprise that in creating a “virtual you” that most would make the avatar look like themselves? I think not.
Thu Jan 31, 2008 10:01pm PSTThat is why I am not going to be an adult. They just don’t know how to play more of themselves.
Thu Jan 31, 2008 11:01pm PSTbad survey marketed primarily to customers of rl looking clothes shops and most likely a paid survey in support of drawing rl clothiers back to sl.
there are no scientific surveys anymore. its all political polling for gain.
too bad rl clothiers think crappy Tee Shirts are fashion. Otherwise they might experience more success.
Fri Feb 1, 2008 4:02am PSTYour results are wrong - this is an indisputable and verifaible fact.
Fact: The two largest virtual worlds are World of Warcraft (WoW) and Second LIfe (SL).
Fact: 100% of avatars in WoW are dramatically different from the real-life (RL) appearance of the human behind them.
Fact: More than 90% (being conservative) of avatars in SL are dramatically different from from the real-life (RL) appearance of the human behind them.
Given that there are a large number of non-human avatars in SL, a larger number of humanoid avatars with non human body parts or skins (wings, cat ears, tails etc) and that the remaining “human” avatars are nearly all (ie 999/1000) are perfectly proportioned, caucasion humans over 6 feet tall and with an appearance of being aged in their early twenties. It is clear that >90% of avatars in SL ARE DRAMATICALLY DIFFERENT in appearance from the appearance of the RL humans that own/operate them.
Fri Feb 1, 2008 4:02pm PSTIf that’s true, where are all the fatties?
Statistics say over 60% of people in the US and UK are overweight, so why are about 90% of realistic avatars slim and gorgeous? Where are all the ugly avatars too?
Fri Feb 1, 2008 9:02pm PSTPeople participating on this were also asked other questions about “their attitudes towards technology.One centered on virtual words”.I assume they weren’t asked if they already have an account in a virtual world.I think the results would be representative if the people that answered this were fully aware of what a virtual world is.
Sat Feb 2, 2008 12:02pm PSTThe poll is actually flawed, but nevertheless it gives interesting information.
Sun Feb 3, 2008 8:02am PSTPeople who were asked this question “Some people are now participating in virtual worlds such as Second Life. Let’s say you’re creating a virtual you in a virtual world. Would you dramatically alter the avatar’s physical appearance from your own?” were obviously in majority unaware of virtual worlds.
Changing the wording of the question would have had little impact to my point of view (but I may be wrong)
what is sure is that when confronted to the virtual world these people would surely change their mind.
When applying they would see that they can be a furry, when trying to change their appearance they would see that they can change a lot of things to their advantage, etc.
If asked a few days after the same question, I bet that the result of the poll would be totally different.
It is only a question of timing;)
My thoughts begin …
“According to an article by Eric Reuter, “Most Adults don’t want Fantasy Avatars” and yet, we all know that every single one of us has at least one really great fantasy avatar in our inventories.
That’s precisely why …”
and my thoughts continue on my own blog at the above link.
Enjoy have fun
Sun Feb 3, 2008 5:02pm PSTMarilla
Rubbish. The polls tells us more about Zogby than it tells us about their respondents.
Mon Feb 4, 2008 9:02pm PSTIt would be interesting to do a survey on this subject within SL asking the question: On a scale of 1-5 with 1 being not at all 5 being almost identical - How close is your SL avatar to your real self?
Anyone wanna have a stab at what the results would look like?
Tue Feb 5, 2008 4:02pm PSTDoes that cover just the looks or characted depiction as well?
Tue Feb 5, 2008 9:02pm PSTPrevious comments miss an important question: what is the synthetic word used for?
Wed Feb 6, 2008 12:02pm PSTIf I want to use it for business (education, trade shows, company meetings, product launch, etc.) I do want me to look like me, and other people also look realistic.
On the other hand, if I just want to fool around, I guess cartoon charcters are just fine.
My $0.02
@Laslo The previous comments do not miss an important question at all. The important question asked was:
…”Would you dramatically alter the avatar’s physical appearance from your own?”…
So does your avatar which you use for business have an appearance resembling your own? Or, is it “just a normalised human” that does not however resemble your own physical appearance?
The CEO of Linden Labs (who own SL) himself, has an avatar that while a “normal” human, in no way bears any resemblance to him.
He has therefore …”dramatically alter(ed) the avatar’s physical appearance from (his) own.”
The simple fact is that there are no avatars that bear a realistic resemlance to the RL owners of them in WoW at all, and so few in SL that they are an exceptional (and commentable) rarity.
Wed Feb 6, 2008 8:02pm PSTI doubt that’s right, and nobody I know saw the survey… and where was it taken?
Though it’s food for thought… I mean, what happens to us when we grow up? we all want to be spacemen, ballarinas, superheroes, cops, dinosaurs etc… then it seems all we want is a car which is a chick magnet or a breast enlargement, it’s pretty sad really.
I’ve got a furry avatar myself, and many of my friends have various fantasy avatars.
My preference is for an avatar with a nice face which you feel that you can communicate with… some of the robots are a bit too mechanical to “bond” with.
I have no probs with personal choices though, I like the huge variations and find it juvenile in the extreme to dislike someone purely for their Avatar choice, which I’ve seen from various factions.
Wolfie!
Sat Feb 9, 2008 1:02am PSTmy guess would be adults have a more firm sense of self identity. where younger people are still trying to find themselves and are more flexible in their self identity. i don’t see anything wrong or bad about someone wanting to be themselves in a foreign world. you don’t have to be or pretend to be someone else to enjoy an escapist virtual world.
Tue Feb 19, 2008 2:02pm PSTSidney captures it… where are all the people who are overweight? The poll only captures what people *say* they would do. Now someone needs to compare that with what people *actually* do. The gap between our stated ideologies and our actions is always richly fascinating.
Wed Feb 27, 2008 2:02pm PSTThis reminds me of the old marketing saying: “There’s what people will tell you they want, then there’s what they *really* want.” A survey methodology, even if done correctly, is not an appropriate way to assess this question. Observation of behavior would yield better results.
Fri Mar 7, 2008 12:03pm PSTHey, I’m pretty torqued at this poll.
I’m not role-playing, fantasizing, involved in some sort of immersive game, or doing anything weird here, honestly.
I’ve chosen myself in a virtual world and I don’t see any dramatic alteration here now, please.
OK, I admit I’m not super good at the appearance mode nor skilled at shopping.
Sat Mar 22, 2008 8:03pm PDTYay for Fairie Hax (are you my cousin?). Well said and poignat with the WoW reference. From my experience isl, about 30 hours per week for a year, most active users are not 100% human in form. Be it til, ers, or wings, they are embracing traits that are not their rl ones. A longer study carried out by a university is needed to offer any insight of note to this topic.
Tue Apr 15, 2008 6:04pm PDT