Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Pepperdine One Semester Abroad: Group Satisfaction & Emotional Well-Being, Carly Hanna, Shannon Tefertiller, Stephanie Cota

Pepperdine Journal of Communication Research

Students who decide to study abroad experience great transition as they adapt from one culture to the next. Interestingly, with so many students studying abroad, it is recognizable that during this change, some students thrive while others do not. Therefore, this study explores the possible factors of what might cause students to report having a positive abroad experience. Specifically, this study analyzes Pepperdine University students to collect data and examine the effects of extraversion and subjective well-being on group satisfaction levels. Although the results could not be generalized, the results concluded that subjective well-being more than extraversion predicted an individual’s …

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 …