Avatar characteristics induce users’ behavioral conformity with small-to-medium effect sizes: a meta-analysis of the proteus effect

Figures & data

Table 1. Overview of studies included in the present analysis.

Study	Effect Size (r)	N	Effect Type	Measure Type	Between- or Within-subjects
(Ash, 2016)	0.16	80	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Aviles, 2017)	0.15	236	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Aymerich-Franch et al., 2014)	0.3	54	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Banakou et al., 2013)	0.53	29	Main	Attitudinal	Within
(Banakou, Hanumanthu, & Slater, 2016)	0.37	59	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Banakou et al., 2018)	0.37	15	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Bian, Zhou, Tian, Wang, & Gao, 2015) [Study 1]	0.36	90	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Bian et al., 2015) [Study 2]	0.18	90	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Buisine et al., 2016)	0.76	12	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Chen, Schweisberger, & Gilmore, 2012)	0.45	30	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Christou & Michael, 2014)	0.32	48	Main	Behavioral	Within
(Fox et al., 2013)	0.28	86	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Fox & Bailenson, 2009) [Study 1]	0.39	63	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Fox & Bailenson, 2009) [Study 3]	0.22	73	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Fox et al., 2009)	0.29	69	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Gomes, 2013)	0.1	145	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Guegan et al., 2016)	0.41	54	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Hershfield et al., 2011) [Study 1]	0.26	50	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Hershfield et al., 2011) [Study 2]	0.42	21	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Kaye et al., 2018)	0.02	120	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Kilteni, Bergstrom, & Slater, 2013)	0.41	36	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Lee et al., 2014)	0.2	120	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Lee-Won, Tang, & Kibbe, 2017)	0.2	238	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Li et al., 2014)	0.22	140	Main	Behavioral	Between
(McCain, Ahn, & Campbell, 2018)	0.21	131	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Palomares & Lee, 2009)	0.16	151	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Peck et al., 2013)	0.39	30	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Peña et al., 2009) [Study 1]	0.51	51	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Peña et al., 2009) [Study 2]	0.25	78	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Peña et al., 2016)	0.3	96	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Peña & Kim, 2014)	0.21	94	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Ratan & Dawson, 2016)	0.44	76	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Ratan & Sah, 2015)	0.42	64	Interaction	Attitudinal	Between
(Ratan et al., 2016)	0.11	298	Main	Behavioral	Within
(de Rooij et al., 2017)	0.32	61	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Sah et al., 2016)	0.21	87	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Sherrick, Hoewe, & Waddell, 2014)	0.15	142	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Sylvia et al., 2014)	0.02	47	Main	Attitudinal	Between
(Van Der Heide, Schumaker, Peterson, & Jones, 2012)	0.35	48	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Via, 2016)	0.13	85	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Yee, 2007)	0.23	57	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Yee & Bailenson, 2007) [Study 1]	0.4	32	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Yee & Bailenson, 2007) [Study 2]	0.33	48	Main	Behavioral	Between
(Yee & Bailenson, 2009)	0.27	70	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Yee et al., 2009)	0.33	40	Interaction	Behavioral	Between
(Yoon & Vargas, 2014)	0.53	123	Main	Behavioral	Between

Table 2. Summary of meta-analysis results for all studies and study subgroups.

Study (Sub)Set	K	N	r (weighted)	95% CI, Lower	95% CI, Upper	Variance	Expected Variance	Unexplained Variance
All Studies	46	3867	0.24	0.210	0.273	0.019	0.010	0.009
Studies Reporting Main Effects	37	3101	0.25	0.212	0.282	0.022	0.010	0.012
Studies Reporting Interaction Effects Only	9	766	0.22	0.151	0.293	0.007	0.011	−0.003
Studies Reporting Behavioral Measures	27	2396	0.23	0.192	0.272	0.019	0.010	0.010
Studies Reporting Attitudinal Measures Only	19	1471	0.26	0.207	0.310	0.018	0.011	0.005

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