Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance
This study aims to investigate the impact of avatar identification on the intention to share by examining the mediating role of user immersion and the moderating effect of perceived social distance. For this, we collected 228 higher education students in South Korea through a survey and used hierarc...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Lomonosov Moscow State University. Faculty of Journalism
2025-03-01
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| Series: | World of Media |
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| Online Access: | http://worldofmedia.ru/volumes/2025/2025_Issue_1/World%20of%20Media_1-2025-54-78.pdf |
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| author | Jaehyuk Choi Youngkeun Choi |
| author_facet | Jaehyuk Choi Youngkeun Choi |
| author_sort | Jaehyuk Choi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | This study aims to investigate the impact of avatar identification on the intention to share by examining the mediating role of user immersion and the moderating effect of perceived social distance. For this, we collected 228 higher education students in South Korea through a survey and used hierarchical regression with SPSS 24.0. In the results, first, it showed that participants who perceived higher levels of similarity identification, wishful identification, and embodied presence in their avatars in the metaverse platform were more immersed in their avatars. Second, participants who perceived greater embodied presence in their avatars had a stronger intention to share their avatars through immersion. Finally, the positive relationship between perceived embodied presence and immersion was more significant for participants in metaverse platforms with higher perceived social distance compared to those with lower perceived social distance. This study is the first to examine the integral model of avatar identification factors in the metaverse platform. And, this study’s results show the mechanism by which avatar identification enhances the intention to share. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-9899fa3e1ad042d3a57dbe9bb5f4ca3e |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 2307-1605 2686-8016 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-03-01 |
| publisher | Lomonosov Moscow State University. Faculty of Journalism |
| record_format | Article |
| series | World of Media |
| spelling | doaj-art-9899fa3e1ad042d3a57dbe9bb5f4ca3e2025-08-20T03:07:32ZengLomonosov Moscow State University. Faculty of JournalismWorld of Media2307-16052686-80162025-03-011547810.30547/worldofmedia.1.2025.3Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distanceJaehyuk Choi0https://orcid.org/0009-0006-6331-7824Youngkeun Choi1University of Southern CaliforniaSangmyung UniversityThis study aims to investigate the impact of avatar identification on the intention to share by examining the mediating role of user immersion and the moderating effect of perceived social distance. For this, we collected 228 higher education students in South Korea through a survey and used hierarchical regression with SPSS 24.0. In the results, first, it showed that participants who perceived higher levels of similarity identification, wishful identification, and embodied presence in their avatars in the metaverse platform were more immersed in their avatars. Second, participants who perceived greater embodied presence in their avatars had a stronger intention to share their avatars through immersion. Finally, the positive relationship between perceived embodied presence and immersion was more significant for participants in metaverse platforms with higher perceived social distance compared to those with lower perceived social distance. This study is the first to examine the integral model of avatar identification factors in the metaverse platform. And, this study’s results show the mechanism by which avatar identification enhances the intention to share.http://worldofmedia.ru/volumes/2025/2025_Issue_1/World%20of%20Media_1-2025-54-78.pdfavatar identificationsimilarity identificationwishful identificationembodied presenceimmersionintention to share |
| spellingShingle | Jaehyuk Choi Youngkeun Choi Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance World of Media avatar identification similarity identification wishful identification embodied presence immersion intention to share |
| title | Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| title_full | Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| title_fullStr | Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| title_full_unstemmed | Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| title_short | Examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse: The mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| title_sort | examining the influence of avatar identification on sharing intention in the metaverse the mediating role of immersion and moderating effect of perceived social distance |
| topic | avatar identification similarity identification wishful identification embodied presence immersion intention to share |
| url | http://worldofmedia.ru/volumes/2025/2025_Issue_1/World%20of%20Media_1-2025-54-78.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jaehyukchoi examiningtheinfluenceofavataridentificationonsharingintentioninthemetaversethemediatingroleofimmersionandmoderatingeffectofperceivedsocialdistance AT youngkeunchoi examiningtheinfluenceofavataridentificationonsharingintentioninthemetaversethemediatingroleofimmersionandmoderatingeffectofperceivedsocialdistance |