The Proteus effect is the tendency for a person's behavior in a virtual environment to change to match the characteristics or stereotypes associated with their avatar's appearance. The researchers Nick Yee and Jeremy Bailenson introduced the concept at Stanford University in 2007, showing for example that people given taller or more attractive avatars tended to behave more confidently in social interactions within the virtual world than people given shorter or less attractive avatars. The effect demonstrates that a person's digital self-representation can shape their real behavior and self-perception, not merely reflect it.
Facts
Core ClaimThe visual characteristics of a person's avatar in a virtual world can change that person's own behavior to match stereotypes associated with the avatar's appearance. 1 First Described Year Classification
Type of Phenomenon Sources
1. Proteus effect, Wikipedia
Lead section
The Proteus effect describes a phenomenon in which the behavior of an individual, within virtual worlds, is changed by the characteristics of their avatar.
History section
The Proteus effect was first introduced by researchers Nick Yee and Jeremy Bailenson at Stanford University in June 2007.
lead section, phenomenon-kind classification
The Proteus effect describes a phenomenon in which the behavior of an individual, within virtual worlds, is changed by the characteristics of their avatar.
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