How you play virtual games can impact real life decisions as researchers
have found that gamers who create thin virtual avatars of themselves
are likely to exercise more and stay in shape than those who play as an
obese avatar of themselves.
"I think the findings have real-world
applications, such as using avatars in video games to 'nudge' people to
increase physical activity," said one of the researchers Jorge Pena from
the University of California, Davis in the US.
The study was published in the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication.
The
researchers conducted an experiment where participants were randomly
assigned to a normal weight or obese avatar as well as normal weight or
obese opponent in a virtual tennis game.
The avatar and the opponent were essentially the same male virtual character.
The
body size of the avatar was manipulated by setting a different Body
Mass Index (BMI) for the normal or obese virtual character.
The
normal weight character was thin and had a BMI of 18.6 (where normal
range BMI is 18.5 to 24.9). The obese character had a BMI of 32.1.
The
researchers found that regardless of participants' own BMI, those using
thin avatars showed increased physical activity compared to those using
obese avatars.
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