Offline personality and avatar customisation. Discrepancy profiles and avatar. identification in a sample of MMORPG players

摘要

This study examined the relationship between offline personality and avatar customisation in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) players, and questioned whether the offline personality is always the starting point for the customisation of an avatar. The aims were: to analyse the discrepancy profiles which emerge when players are asked to rate their primary avatar, actual self and ideal self with respect to certain personality factors; to explore whether these profiles varied across personality factors and within players; and to analyse the relation between discrepancy profiles and the extent to which players identified with their avatars.