Beyond Mirrors: Exploring Behavioral Changes through Comparative Avatar Design in VR Taiko Drumming

Abstract

Most studies on the Proteus Effect, which examines how avatars can influence users' behavior through evoked stereotypes, have primarily manipulated only participants' own avatars as the independent variable. However, in reality, there are numerous scenarios where individuals recognize their uniqueness by comparing themselves to others. Therefore, this study aimed to explore the impact of recognizing one's distinctiveness by comparing one's own avatar's appearance with others on behavioral changes. In our experiment, participants and non-player characters engaged in playing the Japanese drum 'Taiko' together within a virtual environment. They utilized avatars dressed in suits or 'Happi,' which is a traditional Japanese festival costume. The results demonstrated that both the uniformity/distinctiveness and the type of avatar appearance played a joint role in influencing the speed and amplitude of arm swings during the taiko performance. This finding provides valuable insights into comprehending the mechanisms of behavior change in settings where multiple avatars interact, such as social virtual reality, and aids in designing virtual spaces that foster appropriate interactions among individuals.