Avatar Versus Self The Correlation of Iranian Digital Role-Players with Self-Estrangement and Identity Crisis

摘要

In this paper, we present an analysis of the correlation of avatar-user experience with the research participants' sense of self-estrangement and identity crisis. Our participants ( N=1,444) are composed of 714 men (49.4%) and 730 women (50.6%) who extend in age from 16 to 39. In our methodology, we recruit adolescents and young adults through snowball sampling. To this end, a reliable psychometric poll is devised with a Cronbach's Alpha value of (.824). Using six measures including personal identity apprehension, social identity comprehension, identity confusion, idealism, self/body image perception, and self-comparison, we estimate the association of role-playing video games with a large-scale sample of 1,444 Iranian players. Our Descriptive Statistics confirm that digital role-playing gamers seem alienated towards their idea of self and identity. They are also infected with personal and social identity confusion, idealistic notions, self/body image concerns, and self-comparison between reality and virtuality. Furthermore, Pearson Correlations display the positive relationship between the participants' daily application of digital role-playing activities (encounter with avatars) and their sense of self-estrangement and identity crisis. By containing both personal and social aspects of the state of self-estrangement and identity-crisis, our survey contributes to a deeper understanding of the participants' alienation initiative. This paper's specific account of the concepts of self and identity and its detailed discrimination of alienation studies in connection with video games studies enhances the literature of interdisciplinary humanities.