• The Journal of Information Technology
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• v.6 no.3
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• pp.45-51
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• 2003

The purposes of this study were to identify Avatar benefits and characteristics of Avatar users. Avatars are imaginary characters that people use to represent themselves in the Cyber. The number of Netizens who want to consume avatars is increasing. It is necessary to understand about the consumption behavior of the Netizens who use Avatars. These data comes from Pollever Research Company in Korea on Oct. 2003. The factor Analysis of the data resulted in five factors that contribute to Avatar Benefits: uniqueness, response, assurance, self-expression, proxy satisfaction and affirmative. And we have found out meaningful themes, showing psychological experiences, purchasing strategies and repurchasing behavior of Avatars in the process of the consumption. The results showed a significant affect on each factor of the benefits and multiful regression analysis. Affirmative response was affected by self-esteem, fashion leadership and conspicuous value. So many Netizens were using unlimited purchasing coupons, exchanging Avatars and buying-selling-buying. Strategies for obtaining involved purchasing Avatars in order to get game points. The reason why Hangame site was No.1 of Avatar site in Korea. We have found out that Netizens needed to repurchase Avatars. Because they wanted to maintain positive psychological experiences in Avatar consumption.

• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.149-176
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• 2009

In the recent e-learning environment, avatars are often used to help learners get familiar with the contents, which is ultimately to motivate them to study more. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether avatars have actually the desirable effect on users of e-learning materials. Surprisingly, however, no extensive study has been conducted on this crucial issue Accordingly, main objectives this study are summarized as follows. First, we need to gain better understanding of how much learners' trust towards avatars (termed as "avatar trust") is transferred to learners' trust towards e-learning contents (termed as "contents trust"). Second, we need to investigate how much learners' personal relationships with avatars as well as learning behaviors change depending on avatar types (attractive vs. professional) and contents complexity (easy vs. difficult). As described in the study objectives, in order for us to analyze empirical data more systematically, we classified avatar types into two: "attractive" and "professional;" the contents are categorized as either "easy" or "difficult." Therefore, it is essential for this study to build a prototype e-learning website on which our research purpose can be realized and tested effectively with proper avatar types and e-learning contents. For this purpose, we built a prototype e-learning website, in which avatars are invited from currently working avatar instructors used in real-world e-learning websites, and e-learning contents are adapted from real-world contents about Java programming topic, which have been proved to have shown high quality and reliability. Our research method includes questionnaire survey by inviting a number of valid respondents comprised of office workers who are believed to have high demands for the e-learning contents as well as those who have previous experience with avatar instructors. Respondents were given one of the four e-learning experiment conditions (2 avatar types x 2 contents types) on a random basis. Each experimental e-learning condition is framed to have the same quality but different avatar type and content complexity. Then the respondents are asked to fill out the survey form which has questions about avatar trust, contents trust, personal relationships with avatar, and learning behavior, among others. Regarding the constructs used in research model, we based them rigorously on previous studies. For example, we used six constructs such as behavior to give information (BGI), behavior to obtain information (BOI), need for inclusion wanted, need for control wanted, contents trust, and avatar trust. To measure them, 7-Likert scales were used in the questionnaire. E-learning performance was measured indirectly through two constructs such as BGI and BOI. Six constructs used in the research model were adopted and revised from the FIRO-B model suggested by Schutz. Empirical results are as follows: First, professional avatars are more effective for difficult contents, while attractive avatars were not as effective for easy contents. Second, our study results ascertained that avatar trust transfers to contents trust regardless of avatar types and contents complexity.

• 한국HCI학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.02b
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• pp.651-655
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• 2008

It provides a three-dimensional virtual experience consisting of information presented to and perceived by the senses of the user. Recently, the advent of a virtual avatar, which mimics the appearance and behavior of humans, enable that the virtual reality (VR) can provide not only a virtual space but also a virtual society to be interact with a virtual avatar which represents humans. But, it is impossible that the user directly interacts with the VE in previous studies, though direct interactions occur in real social relationship. Therefore, In this study, we know that the cognition about a avatar when the user directly interacts with the virtual avatar in the VE. In order to investigate this purpose, we performed a fMRI study using VE that a avatar accept or reject the user's offer when the user offer his (or her) hand to a avatar. In result of questionnaire about the user's feeling by avatar's action, the user feels about avatar's acceptance action that the avatar acts positively and suitably. In contrast the user feels about avatar's rejective action that the avatar acts negatively and disapprovingly. In result of fMRI analysis, the primary visual area, the visual association area, the SMA, the premotor area, the cerebellum and etc, activate in common with the other avatar's acceptance action and rejective action. The results show that the subject recognizes not only avatars as social objects but also avatar's action as socially meaningful action. In other words, it is possible to transfer social context and emotion through avatar's action.

• Journal of Fashion Business
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• v.17 no.5
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• pp.57-69
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• 2013

The purpose of this study is to compare the traditional shopping model and virtual avatar fitting model with regards to credibility and favorable impression effects on shopping mall satisfaction, product preferences, and purchasing intentions of apparel e-commerce. Questionnaires are distributed to 10-30s years old consumers who live in Seoul. Data are analyzed by descriptive statistics, Cronbach's ${\alpha}$, and regression analysis. The results are that the provoked credibility and favorable impression from the traditional shopping model affects the consumers' shopping mall satisfaction and buying intention in descending order. In additional, the credibility from traditional shopping model affects the product preference. The provoked credibility from the virtual fitting model influences the consumers' product preferences, and buying intentions. The favorable impression from the virtual fitting model affects shopping mall satisfaction. In general, provoked credibility from virtual avatar fitting model and traditional shopping model play key roles which could influence the consumers' buying intention.

• Journal of the Institute of Electronics Engineers of Korea CI
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• v.39 no.3
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• pp.62-78
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• 2002

In this paper, we describe a system that can interact with agents in the virtual space incorporated in the system. This system is constructed by an analysis system for analyzing human gesture and an interact system for interacting with agents in the virtual space using analyzed information. An implemented analysis system for analyzing gesture extracts a head and hands region after taking image sequence of an operator's continuous behavior using CCD cameras. In interact system, we construct the virtual space that exist an avatar which incarnating operator himself, an autonomous object (like a Puppy), and non-autonomous objects which are table, door, window and object. Recognized gesture is transmitted to the avatar in the virtual space, then transit to next state based on state transition diagram. State transition diagram is represented in a graph in which each state represented as node and connect with link. In the virtual space, the agent link an avatar can open and close a window and a door, grab or move an object like a ball, order a puppy to do and respond to the Puppy's behavior as does the puppy.

• KSII Transactions on Internet and Information Systems (TIIS)
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• v.18 no.6
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• pp.1675-1691
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• 2024

The metaverse is an emerging interactive domain that enables people to participate in an array of activities utilizing cutting-edge technologies. Generation Z perceives no substantial distinction between their virtual and actual identities, regarding the virtual world as an extension of reality. As an attempt to apply Bourdieu's theory of cultural taste and cultural capital to the area of the metaverse avatar, investigates the impact of users' cultural tastes on the avatars they create and experience in the metaverse. The research employed both focus group interviews and individual in-depth interviews with users of Generation Z. The study demonstrated that Generation Z users exhibit unrestricted engagement in the metaverse, although their behavior is significantly affected by their economic situation. One's cultural tastes, influenced by diverse interactions with their parents, greatly impact how they engage in cultural activities in the metaverse. Three categories were identified from the perception of avatars: Idealized Self-Representation Avatars, Atypical Self-Representation Avatars, and Integrated Self-Representation Avatars. Perceiving avatars as an extension of the self was associated with higher cultural capital. Participants held divergent perspectives on the metaverse, with certain individuals regarding it as a realm of imagination or a limitless arena for activities.

• Information Systems Review
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.1-22
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• 2024

This study aims to empirically analyze the usage behavior of metaverses, which have recently attracted attention in various fields. To date, research on metaverses has focused on the concept, direction of utilization, development prospects, and technical aspects. However, there is a lack of research on the characteristics of metaverses and the behavior of users. As the metaverse develops with new content, there is a need to understand user behavior and content characteristics. In this study, we surveyed 375 adult males and females who experienced metaverse, and analyzed the impact of metaverse usage behavior on brand loyalty and item purchase intention based on 350 samples after excluding non-responses. The collected data were cleaned and statistically analyzed using SPSS 25.0 and SmartPLS 4.0. The results showed that the usage behavior factors such as immersion, vicarious satisfaction, and avatar identification have a positive effect on brand loyalty and intention to purchase branded items. These findings help to understand the concept and development direction of metaverse, and are expected to make important contributions to the field of brand marketing strategy formulation and metaverse-related user behavior research.

• Proceedings of the Korea Multimedia Society Conference
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• 2001.06a
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• pp.453-456
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• 2001

가상환경에서 애니메이션을 구현하는 방법으로는 여러 가지가 있다. 그러나 그 방법들을 살펴보면 애니메이션 데이터와 아바타 데이터가 서로 분리되지 못하고, 애니메이이션 데이터는 아바타 데이터에 종속되어 있다는 단점이 있다. 이에 본 연구에서는 애니메이션 데이터를 아바타 데이터에 독립적으로 기술할 수 있도록 새로운 행위 기술언어를 정의하고 이를 활용할 수 있도록 하는 시스템을 개발, 제시하도록 한다.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.299-311
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• 2013

An educational application (App) called 'Children's Food Avatar' was developed in this study by using a food DB of nutrition and functionality from Rural Development Administration (RDA) as a smart-learning mobile device for elementary school students. This App was designed for the development of children's desirable dietary habits through an on-line activity of food choices for a meal from food DB of RDA provided as Green Water Mill guide. A customized avatar system was introduced as an element of fun and interactive animation for children which provides nutritional evaluation of selected foods by changing its appearance, facial look, and speech balloon, and consequently providing chances of correcting their food choices for balanced diet. In addition, nutrition information menu was included in the App to help children understand various nutrients, their function and healthy dietary life. When the App was applied to 54 elementary school students for a week in November, 2012, significant increases in the levels of knowledge, attitude and behavior in their diet were observed compared with those of the control group (p < 0.05, 0.01). Both elementary students and teachers showed high levels of satisfaction ranging from 4.30 to 4.89 for the App, therefore, it could be widely used for the dietary education for elementary school students as a smart-learning device.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society for Emotion and Sensibility Conference
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• 1997.11a
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• pp.134-139
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• 1997

가상 현실 세계에서 정보교류의 수단으로 자신의 정보를 제공하거나 또다른 정보를 수집하는 등의 정보교류와 자신을 표현하고자 하는데에 기존의 2차원의 캐릭터보다는 3차원의 캐릭터를 이용하여 사용자의 대리인으로 분신(Avatar)을 사용하는 3차원 영상을 주제로 하는 많을 연구들이 진행되고 있다. 본 연구에서는 가상현실 세계에서의 분신이 좀 더 현실감이 있는 자연스러운 행동과 상호작용을 보이기 위해서 사람 모습을 닮은 분신을 연구하였으며, 실세계의 자연스러운 정보들(손 동작, 몸 동작)을 분신에 적용하여 가상세계에서 분신의 행동양식과 상호작용이 가능하고 시각, 청각, 역각등의 다중형태의 정보들을 3차원으로 제공하고자 하는데 중점을 두었다. 이 시스템은 가상세계에서 분신을 생성하며 몇가지의 기본 행동을 가지고 간단한 방법과 실시간으로 분신의 움직임을 처리 할 수 있는 분신의 행동양식과 상호작용이 가능한 하가지 시스템을 소개할 것이다. 또한 이 시스템은 다른 기종의 플랫폼(PC, W/S)간에 다중참여자를 위하여 네트윅 환경하에서 실행 될 수 있다.