Virtual selfhood and consumer behavior: Exploring avatar attachment and consumption patterns in Second Life's metaverse

Abstract

In the vast digital landscape of the Metaverse, users can create and personalize their avatars as virtual representations of themselves. This study delves into the emotions users experience in relation to their avatars and examines how this attachment influences their consumption behaviors within the virtual world. The research employed a sample of 214 active users participating in Second Life, a prominent virtual world platform. By analyzing survey data, we explore the dynamics of self-presentation and attachment between users and their virtual personas across this well-established platform. Our research offers valuable contributions to the existing literature on the Metaverse, providing empirical evidence on how virtual reality platforms like Second Life foster avatar customization and how this, in turn, affects consumer behavior. As the Metaverse gains prominence in the business world, understanding the habits and preferences of virtual reality users is increasingly crucial. We aim to enhance our understanding of consumer behavior by incorporating attachment theory into our research on long-standing virtual environments like Second Life. Our study of Second Life provides valuable insights into the dynamics of consumer behavior within a well-established virtual world, which can be applied to the emerging Metaverse platforms. This knowledge helps businesses identify consumer profiles, address their needs, and enhance their virtual presence and success.