4
May
Online
Starts: 11:00 am Tuesday, May 4, 2021
Ends: 12:00 pm Tuesday, May 4, 2021

Zoom

Proteus Meets Eris? Understanding the Influence of Self-Representation on Instant Messenger Discussions on Discord

This dissertation will draw on the psychological phenomenon of the Proteus effect—that individuals adopt behavior stereotypical of the avatars they use in virtual worlds (Yee & Bailenson, 2007)—to test how the presence and character of avatars in an online instant messenger influences aggression during political discussions. In doing so, this project will attempt to move past a view of anonymity as an undifferentiated force, to engage with the nuanced and contingent role pseudonyms can play in emphasizing certain personality traits and performing social identities. A first 2x2 factorial experiment will evaluate participant aggression following small group deliberations between groups of participants assigned aggressive and unaggressive usernames and avatars, as well as accounts displaying an avatar and username vs only a username. A second experiment will repeat the manipulation on aggressiveness, but manipulate the ratio of unaggressive to aggressive accounts within groups.

Register here: https://bostonu.zoom.us/meeting/register/tJUldOihqD0sGdLDZlzNIFnPIL1xlx7KO5N0

View Details