• Asia pacific journal of information systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.149-176
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• 2009

In the recent e-learning environment, avatars are often used to help learners get familiar with the contents, which is ultimately to motivate them to study more. Therefore, it is important to investigate whether avatars have actually the desirable effect on users of e-learning materials. Surprisingly, however, no extensive study has been conducted on this crucial issue Accordingly, main objectives this study are summarized as follows. First, we need to gain better understanding of how much learners' trust towards avatars (termed as "avatar trust") is transferred to learners' trust towards e-learning contents (termed as "contents trust"). Second, we need to investigate how much learners' personal relationships with avatars as well as learning behaviors change depending on avatar types (attractive vs. professional) and contents complexity (easy vs. difficult). As described in the study objectives, in order for us to analyze empirical data more systematically, we classified avatar types into two: "attractive" and "professional;" the contents are categorized as either "easy" or "difficult." Therefore, it is essential for this study to build a prototype e-learning website on which our research purpose can be realized and tested effectively with proper avatar types and e-learning contents. For this purpose, we built a prototype e-learning website, in which avatars are invited from currently working avatar instructors used in real-world e-learning websites, and e-learning contents are adapted from real-world contents about Java programming topic, which have been proved to have shown high quality and reliability. Our research method includes questionnaire survey by inviting a number of valid respondents comprised of office workers who are believed to have high demands for the e-learning contents as well as those who have previous experience with avatar instructors. Respondents were given one of the four e-learning experiment conditions (2 avatar types x 2 contents types) on a random basis. Each experimental e-learning condition is framed to have the same quality but different avatar type and content complexity. Then the respondents are asked to fill out the survey form which has questions about avatar trust, contents trust, personal relationships with avatar, and learning behavior, among others. Regarding the constructs used in research model, we based them rigorously on previous studies. For example, we used six constructs such as behavior to give information (BGI), behavior to obtain information (BOI), need for inclusion wanted, need for control wanted, contents trust, and avatar trust. To measure them, 7-Likert scales were used in the questionnaire. E-learning performance was measured indirectly through two constructs such as BGI and BOI. Six constructs used in the research model were adopted and revised from the FIRO-B model suggested by Schutz. Empirical results are as follows: First, professional avatars are more effective for difficult contents, while attractive avatars were not as effective for easy contents. Second, our study results ascertained that avatar trust transfers to contents trust regardless of avatar types and contents complexity.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.153-173
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• 2009

Virtual world typically characterized by Second Life (www.secondlife.com) has been successfully drawing a great deal of potential users all around the world. Attention towards 3D avartars has been increasing exponentially especially in the electronic commerce world. 3D avatars have firm position in the virtual world. This study is launched to explore this research void in which trust transference from 3D-avatars-sales representative to customers purchase intention will be especially analyzed on. To perform experiments, a research model was built in a form of path analysis. Two types of 3D avatars were designed and implemented-at-tractive type and professional type. Questionnaire survey was adopted, and empirical analysis results were obtained from the research model. Results reveal that the proposed hypotheses are proven with statistical significance.

• Journal of the Korea Fashion and Costume Design Association
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.97-113
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• 2023

This study investigates the effect of consumers' trust in communication with online fashion mall avatars on performance expectancy and re-use intention. For the empirical study, 207 adults were surveyed using a 5-point Likert scale, and the results were analyzed with SPSS 21.0. The analysis reveals the following results. First, the factor analysis of trust in communication with the avatar, performance expectancy, and re-use intention revealed cognitive and affective trust as subfactors of the trust in communication with the avatar, while purchase choice expectations and performance expectancy were identified as subfactors of performance expectancy for the avatar. A total of five factors, including re-use intention, were recognized. Second, the trust in communication with online fashion mall avatars significantly positively affected performance expectancy for the avatar. Among the subfactors, cognitive trust was determined to have a greater influence on purchase choice expectations than affective trust. Third, the performance expectancy for the online fashion mall avatar significantly positively affected re-use intention. Notably, the subfactor performance expectancy had a greater influence than purchase choice expectations. Finally, trust in communication with online fashion mall avatars significantly positively affected re-use intention. Accordingly, the sub-factor cognitive trust had a greater influence on re-use intention than affective trust. The results of this study are academically significant in that they empirically test the influence relationship between trust in communication, performance expectancy, and re-use intention, considering the personal characteristics of online fashion mall avatars on consumers using the Meta-UTAUT model in the fashion field.

• Knowledge Management Research
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.91-112
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• 2008

Recently, the virtual world where avatars are playing crucial roles in connecting users with each other receives much attention from practioners as well as academicians. Especially, Second Life is one of the most prevailing website where 3-D avatars can be easily designed in line with for users' personal tastes. However, there are no studies showing how the selling agents designed in 3-D avatars can affect customer trust and purchase intention in the context of virtual world. This study is concerned with suggesting the empirical results to fill in the research void like this. Results reveal that the proposed hypotheses are proven with statistical significance.

• Fashion & Textile Research Journal
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.611-623
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• 2021

In the era of COVID-19 and advanced ICT technology, retail technologies such as those that use virtual reality(VR) have been drawing significant attention in the fashion industry. This study investigated the impact of shopping motivation and telepresence on consumer attitude, trust, and behavioral intentions in VR fitting room application environments. An online survey was conducted on female consumers in their 20s and 30s after exploring a VR fitting room application. Overall, 225 responses were used for the analysis. The study demonstrated that usefulness had a significant effect on attitude toward product (ATP) and trust toward app (TTA), while enjoyment had a significant effect on ATP, but did not significantly affect TTA. Telepresence did not significantly affect TTA, but had a significant influence on ATP and behavioral intention. TTA had a significant influence on ATP, and both ATP and TTA had significant effects on behavioral intention. Moreover, the effects of usefulness, enjoyment, and telepresence on ATP, TTA, and behavioral intention were significant, as the self-congruity between consumers and avatars increased. The application of the motivation theory and technology acceptance model offers theoretical perspectives for understanding VR fitting room application users' attitudinal and behavioral responses in mobile shopping environments. In addition, this study provides practical implications to mobile retailers that utilize advanced technologies.

• Archives of design research
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• v.19 no.2 s.64
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• pp.43-52
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• 2006

The most important issue the online shopping mall for clothes is facing in the rapid growth of the online shopping mali is the high rate of the return of the goods alter purchase. The high rate of the return leads to the dissatisfaction md lack of trust from the consumers in the online shopping mall for clothes, which in turn leads to the bleak prospect for the online shopping mall for clothes as a result of the consumers' dissatisfaction. Although a type of online shopping mall using the cyber-fitting technology has emerged recently, it has succeeded only in provoking a visual interest, for it is also not satisfying the demand of the consumers by falling short in providing information. Thus, this research seeks for the resolutions of the problems related to the user-oriented online shopping. First of the resolutions is the development of a new prototype which the consumers can easily access; second is the visualization of the information using the 3D virtual-reality of he prototype through interface, which will help the consumers to make more accurate judgments. In other words, this study seeks to provide a type of prototype of an online shopping mall that meets the demand of the consumers using the 3D avatars, unlike the unilateral and conventional malls out there.