Psychology Commons^™

The Virtual Self: Avatar And Individual Determinants Of Mood, Ivana Wang, Steven Rouse Dr., Elizabeth Krumrei-Mancuso Dr.

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

We explored the potential of avatar-based games as a method of influencing mood. Factors such as avatar customization, participants’ perception of accurate avatar-self representation, self-esteem, and personality were assessed in relation to changes in affect following avatar game play.

With technology dominating the culture of the current day, it’s no surprise that people are becoming increasingly more concerned with their online persona. Most often, this impression is managed via an avatar, which through customization can become an accurate translation of the individual who created it (actual-self) or instead portray the self that he or she wants to be (ideal-self). The …

Volunteer Activities And Self-Esteem, Viviana Vasquez

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

While prior studies have found a relationship between volunteerism and self-esteem, results are inconclusive for college students. The current study examined students attending a small, private, Christian liberal arts college to determine whether students who engage in volunteer activities with direct contact with the individuals they are serving would report higher levels of self-esteem. Results indicated that there was no significant difference between the amount of direct contact a participant engaged in at his/her volunteer site and his/her self-esteem. However, results demonstrated that females report higher levels of direct contact at their volunteer sites and are more likely to report …