Self-shape congruency in the metaverse: How avatar geometry modulates emotional engagement and virtual consumption

Avatars, as digital extensions of the self in the metaverse, profoundly shape user behavior through their visual design. While prior research has focused on human-like avatar traits (e.g., attractiveness, height), this study investigates how basic modular avatar geometries—spheric versus cubic—affect emotional engagement and consumption decisions. Across two immersive experiments—a virtual movie shopping task and a virtual art exhibition—we found that avatar shape interacted with the emotional attributes of products to influence user preferences. Participants using spheric avatars preferred positively valenced content (e.g., comedies, Rose Period paintings), while those using cubic avatars were more inclined toward negatively valenced content (e.g., thrillers, Blue Period artworks). Mediation analyses revealed that emotional pleasure, driven by self-shape congruency, underpinned these effects.

Theoretically, the study extends embodied cognition and metaphor theory by demonstrating that even minimal geometric features in avatar design can activate self-referential processing and influence affective decision-making in immersive contexts. The findings inform the development of emotionally congruent avatar customization tools, emotionally intelligent branding strategies, and affect-sensitive UX design in VR/AR platforms, especially as virtual environments become more central to digital social life, commerce, and identity expression.