Gender and the perception of emotions in avatars

Avatars have been a traditional mainstay of game-based interactive entertainment, where they aim to enhance story-based immersion and player engagement. However, there has also been an increase in the use of avatars for other purposes, such as in serious gaming and simulation training. In these applications, there is an interest in accurate and cost-effective avatar development to convey human emotional expressions, and in understanding how groups or subgroups perceive these expressions. In this research, we evaluate gender differences in the perception of animated and still images of avatars. The analysis of results indicates that participant gender plays an important role in the perception of avatars, particularly when avatars are used to communicate emotions. The results of this research highlight the importance of gender balanced evaluation of avatars and also suggests the important role of gender in the communication of emotions in virtual environments.