Title
The effect of an avatar's emotional expressions on players' fear reactions: The mediating role of embodiment.
Abstract
This research aimed to demonstrate the effects of an avatar's emotional expressions on players' fear reactions during horror gameplay. In Study 1, we found that the emotional expressions of an avatar decreased fear reactions among players. This effect was mediated by avatar embodiment. More precisely, avatar emotional expressions lower avatar embodiment, which, in turn, positively predicts players' fear reactions. In Study 2, we replicated the findings of Study 1. In addition, we found that the effects observed in Study 1 were only present in interactive gameplay—not when players watched screen-captured footage of the game. In other words, we found evidence of a moderated mediation model in which interactivity moderates the effects of an avatar's emotional expressions on players' fear reactions through avatar embodiment.
Year
DOI
Venue
2017
10.1016/j.chb.2017.06.024
Computers in Human Behavior
Keywords
DocType
Volume
Fear,Embodiment,Agency,Horror-themed video game
Journal
75
ISSN
Citations 
PageRank 
0747-5632
0
0.34
References 
Authors
0
3
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Matthias Hofer177.27
Andreas Hüsser200.34
Sujay Prabhu3102.61