3D Communities as Platforms for Developing Social Capital

Abstract

3D virtual communities, a particular form of platforms, have gained remarkable attention in theory and practice. Similarly, the well established concept of social capital, which describes resources becoming accessible and available through the connection and interaction between individuals on a platform, has regained prominence with the boom of social media. In this study, we investigate the development of social capital in 3D virtual communities. Adapting the model of Adler and Kwon (2002), we analyze the role of motivation, ability, opportunity, and integration fir constituting social capital in 3D virtual communities. Our empirical investigation conducted in 2008 and 2009 among users of two 3D virtual communities, one networking platform and one online gaming platform, suggests that only motivation and ability are generally important. We conclude that the sources of social capital depend on the specific type and user audience of a 3D virtual community as well as on the sophistication of the available tools in the particular 3D environment and the cultural openness of the network.