University of Twente Student Theses
Seeing Through the Screen : The Influence of Sexist Attitudes, Creator Identity, and Skin Colour on Avatar Perception
Stahl, Samuel (2024) Seeing Through the Screen : The Influence of Sexist Attitudes, Creator Identity, and Skin Colour on Avatar Perception.
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| Abstract: | With the rapid growth of the gaming industry, the representation of gender and its implications for social perceptions has gained significant attention. While research on sexism in gaming has largely focused on narratives and characters, less is known about the perception of sexualised avatars. This thesis addresses that gap by exploring how individual sexist attitudes, the skin colour of avatars, and the gender of the avatar's creator influence perceptions of sexism. The study employed a two-phase design. In the first study, 47 participants rated 110 World of Warcraft avatars on dimensions of sexism, objectification, femininity, and masculinity to select the most sexist avatars for Study 2. The second study utilized a 2 (Gender) x 2 (Skin Colour) experimental design in which participants evaluated 16 avatars based on these dimensions. A multiple regression analysis showed that hostile sexist attitudes are associated with a higher likelihood of perceiving female avatars as embodying hostile sexism (B = .46, SE = .12, p <.001). A repeated measures ANOVA revealed that hostile skin colour had a significant effect on the association of avatars with hostile sexism, Pillai´s Trace = .133, F(1, 93) = 14.309, p < .001. Additionally, skin colour had a significant effect on the association of avatars with benevolent sexism, Pillai´s Trace = .105, F(1, 93) = 10.929, p = .001. Hostile sexist attitudes were more commonly expressed when evaluating white female avatars, while benevolent sexist attitudes were more frequently expressed toward black female avatars. A Wilcoxon signed-rank test showed that male avatars, where creator and observer gender matched, were perceived as more hostile sexist (Z = -2.47, p = 0.14). With a mismatch, male avatars were rated higher in benevolent sexism (Z = -2.2, p = .027). These findings contribute to understanding how biases influence virtual representations and perceptions in gaming environments. The study underscores the importance of examining digital media through the lens of social biases and offers insights into the broader implications for representation in virtual worlds. Future research could explore how other factors, such as facial phenotypes or avatar agency, affect perceptions of sexism in digital spaces. Keywords: avatars, sexism, sexist attitudes, creator gender, skin colour, perception |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 77 psychology |
| Programme: | Psychology MSc (66604) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/104417 |
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