Using A Sexy Video Game Avatar Makes Women Objectify Themselves
Sexy Avatars Courtesy Jeremy Bailenson When we don a virtual reality avatar, our real-life behavior can change, too. Like, for example, when people embody a tall avatar, they have a tendency to act more confidently. It's called the Proteus Effect. And according to a study from Stanford University's Virtual Human Interaction Lab, it's the reason overly sexualized portrayals of women in video games are terrible. According to this research, women who embody sexualized avatars are more likely to objectify themselves, and more likely to say that rape is the victim's fault. (Always worth noting: It's not.) 'Women who wear sexualized avatars may internalize the features of their avatars and start perceiving themselves in a sexually objectified manner.' A total of 86 women participated in the study, donning a head-mounted display that placed them in a virtual environment where they...