Avatars That Represent Us: A Study on the Influence of Marginalized Identities on Avatar Personalization in Virtual Environments

Ailton Ribeiro; Murilo Guerreiro Arouca; Ana Maria Amorim; Maria Clara Pestana; Dafne Apolinário de Souza; Vaninha Vieira

doi:10.5753/jis.2026.5437

Authors

Ailton Ribeiro Federal University of Bahia https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4524-2188
Murilo Guerreiro Arouca Federal University of Bahia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2909-2688
Ana Maria Amorim Federal University of Bahia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6454-5216
Maria Clara Pestana Federal University of Bahia https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8382-7844
Dafne Apolinário de Souza Federal Institute of Bahia https://orcid.org/0009-0000-2167-4598
Vaninha Vieira Federal University of Bahia https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3424-8413

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5753/jis.2026.5437

Keywords:

Avatars, Embodied Presence, Self-expression, Personalization, Disability Disclosure, Accessibility

Abstract

Avatars are increasingly recognized as important components of online interactions, particularly within the context of the Metaverse. However, research on their inclusive representation remains relatively limited. This study seeks to examine self-representation through avatars, with a particular focus on personalization and its potential implications for inclusion and diversity. An online survey was conducted with 133 participants to investigate how demographic factors, such as age and race/ethnicity, may influence preferences for avatar personalization. The findings suggest that age and race/ethnicity may play a significant role in shaping avatar personalization preferences, with age appearing to have a more consistent influence. This study highlights the potential importance of considering demographic diversity in efforts to design more inclusive and representative virtual environments.

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References

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