Sex Sells? Examining the Influence of Sexist Attitudes, Gender, and Gamer Identity on Avatar and Creator Perceptions in Gaming Environments

The thesis investigated the effects of ambivalent sexist attitudes, gender (avatar and creator), and gamer identity on the perception and evaluation of sexualized avatars as well as their creators. The World of Warcraft avatars were created by the researchers. They were assigned to a (presumed) creator, to control the role of creator gender and its influence on the perception of the avatars and the creator itself. Before conducting the main study, a pilot study was executed to assess the final avatar set, which was composed of 8 highly sexualized male and female avatars, based on participants evaluations.