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User-Agent Bond in Generalizable Environments: Long-Term Risk-Reduction via Nudged Virtual Choices.

Liyuan Wang1, John L Christensen2, Benjamin J Smith3

  • 1Department of Communication, Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism, University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA, United States.

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Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Players who identify with video game avatars in the Socially Optimized Learning in Virtual Environments (SOLVE) game show reduced risky sexual behaviors. This identification with game characters promotes healthier choices, leading to significant behavior change over time.

Keywords:
agent (virtual users)generalizable virtual environmentsidentificationinterventionmen who had sex with menrisk-reduction behaviorvideo gamevirtual choices

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Area of Science:

  • Psychology
  • Media Studies
  • Public Health

Background:

  • Digital self-representations, known as avatars or agents, allow players to form bonds with characters in virtual environments.
  • This player-avatar bond, termed identification, can lead to temporary shifts in self-perception and influence behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate if identification with video game avatars predicts changes in subsequent behavior.
  • To examine the impact of avatar identification on reducing risky sexual behaviors among young men who have sex with men.

Main Methods:

  • Utilized 3-month longitudinal data from a serious game, Socially Optimized Learning in Virtual Environments (SOLVE).
  • The study involved 444 participants playing a 3D-interactive game designed to reduce risky sexual behaviors.

Main Results:

  • Identification with video game avatars significantly predicted a reduction in risky sexual behaviors over time.
  • Players who identified with game characters made healthier choices, mediating the relationship between avatar identification and behavior change.
  • A reduction in the number of non-primary partners involved in risky sexual behavior was also observed.

Conclusions:

  • Avatar identification is a key factor in promoting behavior change within serious games.
  • Serious games like SOLVE can be effective tools for public health interventions, particularly for reducing risky sexual behaviors.
  • The findings highlight the potential of virtual environments and avatar identification for influencing real-world health decisions.