This paper proposes a validated 15-item scale that merges theoretically divergent perspectives on player-avatar relations in extant literature (parasociality as psychological merging and sociality as psychological divergence) into a single instrument that measures player-avatar interaction (PAX). PAX is defined as the perceived social and functional association between an MMO player and game avatar, inclusive of four factors: emotional investment, anthropomorphic autonomy, suspension of disbelief, and sense of player control. These four factors were stable across two large multi-game (N = 494) and game-specific player samples (N = 458), in both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses. Construct validity tests show scale dimensions have expected significant relationships with a sense of human-like relatedness and player-avatar relationship features, and predictive validity tests indicate theoretically likely and relevant factor associations with gameplay motivations and MMO genres.

1. Jaime Banks ~ @amperjay
Nicholas David Bowman ~ @bowmanspartan
West Virginia University, USA ~ @wvucommstudies #ixlab
Validation of a merged metric for Player-Avatar Interaction (PAX)

2. (the next chapter)

3. Avatar =
• Graphical user representations
• Carriers of meaning/agency
• Mediators of phenomenal
gameplay

4. …

5. • Psychological Merging
• Dimensions
• Identification
• Suspension of Disbelief
• Sense of Control
• Sense of care/responsibility
• Associated with play motivations, pro/antisocial
tendencies, enjoyment/appreciation
Lewis, Weber, & Bowman (2008)
Bowman, Schultheiss, & Schumann (2012)
Bowman, Rogers, & Sherrick (2013)

7. Object Me Symbiote Other
Banks (2013, 2015)

8. • Theoretically divergent
• Conceptual overlaps: agency, emotion
• Predictive/associative value
• Narrative involvement
• Prosocial/cooperative play
• Appreciation

9. Avatar as
Object
Avatar as
Me
Avatar as
Symbiote
Avatar as
Social Other
Identification Low High Mid Low
Suspension of
disbelief
Low Mid Mid High
Sense of
Control
High Mid Mid Low
Sense of care/
responsibility
Low Mid Mid High
Banks & Bowman (2013)

10. Para-social Social
Banks & Bowman (2014)

11. • RQ1: Can exploratory and linguistics-based indicators of
player-avatar relationships be translated to a meaningful
survey instrument to measure perceived PAR sociality?
• RQ2: Are dimensions of PAR sociality and CA empirically
distinct?
• RQ3: Can PAR sociality and CA dimensions be synthesized
into an instrument with (a) predictive and (b) convergent
validity?
• Online surveys
• 95 questions from exploratory/follow-up work + CA Scale + construct
validity measures + PAR type
• Sociality scale + CA embedded in larger study
• Sample
• Multi-game, international (N = 494, initial subsample n = 176)
• WoW only, international (N = 458)
• Recruited via Reddit/Blizzard forums

15. Character Attachment
• Identification
(pretending, being,
affinity)
• Suspension of disbelief
(error, plausibility)
• Control
(‘obedience,’ frustration)
• Care/responsibility
(wants, needs, interests)
PAR Sociality
• Anthro. autonomy
(thoughts, feelings, life)
• Emotional investment
(love, appreciation, loss)
• Companionship
(friends, understanding,
reciprocation)

16. (18-item, penultimate, multi-game sample)

17. (15-item, final, WoW sample)

18. NNFI (Tucker-Lewis
index) = .978
IFI = .983
CFI = .982
RMSEA = .046
Correlations shown are
significant at the p < .001
level or greater.

19. • Emotional Investment
• This avatar is very special to me.
• I appreciate this avatar.
• I would be heartbroken if I lost
this avatar.
• I love this avatar.
• (R) I don’t really care about this
avatar.
• (R) I have no emotional
connection to this avatar.
• Player Control
• This avatar does what I want.
• I control this avatar.
• Avatar Autonomy
• When I log out of the game, this
avatar has its own life.
• This avatar has its own feelings.
• This avatar has its own thoughts
and ideas.
• Suspension of Disbelief
• I concentrate on inconsistencies
in this avatar's story and the
game story.
• It is important to check for
inconsistencies in this avatar's
game.
• I pay attention to errors or
contradictions in this avatar's
world.

20. • Human-like relatedness

21. • PAR type

22. • Motivations for play - social

23. • Motivations for play - immersion

24. • MMO genre preference

25. Object Me Symbiote Other

26. • I sometimes forget my own feelings and take on
those of my character.
• I enjoy pretending my character is a real person.
• I consider my character a friend of mine.
• I enjoy pretending I am my character.
• I could see myself being attracted to my character.
• I daydream about my character.

27. • Shifts in anthropomorphism  PAX
• “Me versus We” in serious games
• Variations in character identification among dimensions
• Moral decision-making (self v. other)
• Symbiotes … unpack those buggers