1. Results Conclusions This study explored the possible role of actual-ideal self-discrepancy on mood, using the factors of actual- versus ideal-self grouping, personality, and self-esteem, which were assessed in regard to their effects on positive and negative affect. The self-discrepancy theory and objective self-awareness theory were not supported in that participants as a whole experienced a significant decrease in negative affect after game play, regardless of which priming group they were assigned to. There was no significant difference in mood change between groups, but interestingly, a factor that predicted change in both positive and negative mood was the participants’ perception of how accurately their avatar represented them. o Theories of self-presence were supported in that participants who reported higher degrees of accuracy in avatar self-representation demonstrated an increase in positive affect, as well as a decrease in negative affect as a result of the game play, in comparison to those with lower ratings of appearance similarity between them and their avatar. o Given these results, it may be that what affects mood isn’t necessarily the process of trying to create an actual versus ideal-self avatar that matters, but the individual’s perception of how accurately that avatar ends up reflecting the actual self. o It appears that it is the perception of a high actual-self reflecting avatar that positively impacts the individual’s mood. Further, stepwise multiple regression analyses revealed that self-esteem and personality (i.e., extraversion- assertiveness) were also significant variables in predicting change in negative mood. o Individuals who scored low in these areas were more likely to experience the strongest decrease in negative affect after game play, providing possible insight into the nature of gaming and its function as a negatively reinforcing and sometimes addicting behavior. Ivana Wang, Steve Rouse, Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso Department of Psychology, Pepperdine University, Malibu, California 90263 References For further information The Virtual Self: Avatar and Individual Determinants of Mood Methods To observe what effects occur with actual- and ideal- self priming on mood, a convenience sample of undergraduate students (N = 81) participated in an experiment. The sample (M age = 19.16, SD = 1.89) included students of all grade levels (48.1% first-years, 23.5% sophomores, 21% juniors, 7.4% seniors), as well as varying ethnicities (46.9% White/Caucasian, 12.3% Hispanic/Latino, 7.4% Black/African American, 1.2% Native American/American Indian, 23.5% Asian/Pacific Islander, 8.6% Biracial/Multiracial). The experiment included a series of assessments: Self-esteem using the International Personality Item Pool self-esteem scale (www.ipip.ori.org) Personality using the Big Five Aspect Scale (DeYoung, Quilty, & Peterson, 2007) Mood using the Positive and Negative Affect scale (Watson, Clark & Tellegen, 1988) Between the mood pretest and posttest assessment was a brief period of game play, in which the participants played the life simulation game, The Sims 2. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two conditions: 1.Actual-self priming o The first group was instructed to customize an avatar that, from an objective point of view, accurately reflected them. 2.Ideal-self priming o The second group was instructed to customize an avatar that, from a subjective point of view, reflected the appearance they wanted to achieve. Post game play, participants were instructed to report their respective priming conditions, but they were further asked to report how accurately they thought their avatars represented them, regardless of priming group assignment. T-tests and regression analyses were used to analyze the data. Regression analyses revealed that in terms of change in positive affect, only the perceived accuracy of the avatar-self representation demonstrated significance (see Table). In terms of negative affect, self-esteem scores, perceived accuracy, and extraversion-assertiveness presented as significant predictors; twenty-six percent of the variability in negative affect change was explained by the combination of these scores. Ivana Wang: Pepperdine University – ivana.wang@pepperdine.edu; (626) 551-8294 Dr. Steve Rouse: Pepperdine University – steve.rouse@pepperdine.edu Dr. Elizabeth Krumrei Mancuso: Pepperdine University – elizabeth.krumrei@pepperdine.edu Abstract This poster explores the potential of avatar-based games as a method of influencing mood. Components of game play such as avatar customization, participants’ perception of how accurately avatars represented them, and individually varying factors (i.e., self-esteem and personality) were assessed in relation to changes in affect following avatar game play. DeYoung, C. G., Quilty, L. C., & Peterson, J. B. (2007). Between facets and domains: 10 aspects of the Big Five. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 93(5), 880-896. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.93.5.880 Goldberg, L. R., Johnson, J. A., Eber, H. W., Hogan, R., Ashton, M. C., Cloninger, C. R., & Gough, H. C. (2006). The international personality item pool and the future of public-domain personality measures. Journal of Research in Personality, 40, 84-96. Higgins, E.T. (1987). Self-Discrepancy: A theory relating self and affect. Psychological Review, 94(3), 319-340. doi:10.1037/0033- 295X.94.3.319 Jin, S. (2009). Avatars mirroring the actual self versus projecting the ideal self: The effects of self-priming on interactivity and immersion in an exergame, Wii Fit. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 12(6), 761-765. doi:10.1089/cpb.2009.0130 Jin, S. (2010). 'I feel more connected to the physically ideal mini me than the mirror-image mini me': Theoretical implications of the 'malleable self' for speculations on the effects of avatar creation on avatar-self connection in Wii. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 13(5), 567-570. doi:10.1089/cyber.2009.0243 Silvia, P. J., & Duval, T. (2001). Objective self-awareness theory: Recent progress and enduring problems. Personality And Social Psychology Review, 5(3), 230-241. doi:10.1207/S15327957PSPR0503_4 Watson, D., Clark, L. A., & Tellegen, A. (1988). Development and validation of brief measures of positive and negative affect: The PANAS scales. Journal Of Personality And Social Psychology, 54(6), 1063-1070. doi:10.1037/0022-3514.54.6.1063 Introduction With technology dominating the culture of the current day, it’s no surprise that people are becoming increasingly more concerned with their online persona. Most often, this impression is managed via an avatar, which through customization can become an accurate translation of the individual who created it (actual-self), or instead portray the self that he or she wants to be (ideal- self). The self-discrepancy theory and objective self-awareness theory suggest that focus on the ideal-self in the process of creating and using an avatar will result in an increase in negative affect; on the other hand, theories of self-presence would lead one to expect the same process to result in an increase in positive affect (Higgins, 1987; Jin, 2009, 2010; Silvia & Duval, 2001). Aiming to identify whether creating and using an ideal-self reflecting avatar in game play would ultimately increase positive (PA) or negative affect (NA), this study was concerned with examining the impact of avatar-self representation on mood, differentiating the influence of actual-self versus ideal-self focus through separate priming conditions. In addition, past literature suggests avatar construction and use is at least partially determined by individual differences, notably personality and self-esteem. In order to thoroughly explore the possible role of actual- ideal self-discrepancy on mood, the factors of actual- versus ideal-self grouping, personality, and self-esteem were assessed in regard to their effects on positive and negative affect. A two-tailed, paired-samples t-test was used to analyze the mood pretest-posttest data. Avatar- based game play led to a significant decrease in negative affect (see Table 1). Before game play, the participants’ measure of negative mood was, on average, 16.37; after game play, the participants’ measure of negative mood was averaged at 13.93. Overall, participants experienced a decrease in negative affect after playing the avatar-based game. An independent samples t-test was conducted to evaluate whether mood change varied depending on what kind of avatar appearance a participant was instructed to create. Grouping was not an impacting factor as participants within the actual-self priming group and participants in the ideal-self avatar group did not demonstrate any statistically significant difference in their changes in positive affect (see Table 2). MSDResultSignificance95% CI Pre-game play16.37 6.73t(80) = 4.18p <.05[1.28, 3.61] Post-game play13.935.16t(80) = 4.18p <.05[1.28, 3.61] Note. CI = confidence interval. Table 1. Negative Affect Change Within Groups Actual-self Avatar Group Ideal-self Avatar Group ResultSignificance95% CI M (SD) Change in PA -.52 (7.48) -3.10 (4.55) t(79) =.98 p >.05[-1.85, 5.42] Change in NA -2.31 (8.94)-1.74 (5.91) t(79) = -1.16 p >.05[-3.67,.97] Note. CI = confidence interval; PA = positive affect; NA = negative affect. Table 2. Affect Change Between Groups Predictor Variables in the Equation Beta weightResultSignificanceR 2 (SE) Change in PAPerceived accuracy of avatar-self representation.95 (p =.02)F(1,79) = 5.56p <.05.05 (7.98) Change in NASelf-esteem.30 (p =.007)F(3,77) = 10.43p <.001.26 (4.52) Perceived accuracy of avatar-self representation -.88 (p =.00) Extraversion- assertiveness.18 (p =.03) Note. R 2 = Adjusted R Square; SE = standard error of the estimate. Table 3. Predictors of Change in Positive and Negative Affect