Do you think Avatars ever influence you?

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Do you think any impression you might get from a user's avatar ever influences the way you reply to people?

The reason I'm asking is because, for those of you who haven't noticed, I change mine pretty frequently. I have a small set of about six or seven actors and comedians i like. I've wondered how much the expressions or just who they are might affect some responses.

Like, i have a pissed off George Carlin, Hugh Laurie as House, Hugh Laurie as a goofy pompous prince, Bill Cosby, Steven Wright, and now Matt Passmore (Jim Longworth from The Glades). Each of them has a very different expression. I've often wondered how much they might affect how my posts are taken when I use one or another. I do remember a couple of times putting up Carlin, and getting a higher number of curt responses.

It's either that or I'm subconsciously picking the one that fits my mood, and that's what's coming through. Or it could be both.

But it changes for previous posts too, so I wonder if that's messing with people too. I don't know.

What do you think? Do avatars affect your perception of posters and their posts?

Edit: I used to be, but I've try to ignore them now, because moods can change even if the avatar doesn't.

Last edited by MrXxx on 26 Aug 2010, 7:47 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I am affected by avatars. When I see angry avatars, I assume the poster has anger. When I see bunnies or cats I assume the poster has a mellower disposition. When I see actors (or comediens) I assume the poster identifies with the role the actor is playing or the stance of the comedien and that influences me.

I have no avatar. I am either invisible, lazy, or without a fixed identity.

I don't really get influenced by any avatar, I actually tend to actually pay attention to the names than I do with the persons avatar so I don't think it would influence me.

i'm mostly visual so it's possible, but if i can even break it up consciously i'd say as with people in real life, i form an impression and then attach it to the visual. i think. chicken or egg. maybe a little of both.

with a few exceptions (of people who overflow with personality, punctuate weirdly, or sign names @ bottom) i don't remember people easily if they change their avatars up, or if there is none.

Last edited by katzefrau on 26 Aug 2010, 8:27 pm, edited 1 time in total.

I pay more attention to what the person writes, rather than what the avatar is.

has anyone seen janissy? a disappearance, i do believe. or a invisibility phenomenon. i'm so confused.

i think for most wp viewers it's a first impression, same as in person. many avatars are accurate, some are not.
that's why each gets to choose.

wouldn't it be fun to get to assign avatars to posters!

like Jedi mind tricks?

nope, can't say they do.
& mine's just of myself so if it's influencing, then i must just be naturally influential

Hmm. I'm not so sure I believe you Brainfre3ze. I think you're hiding something.



You mean users choosing for users? Not sure. I'd be afraid of getting this:

Influence me how? I might spend more time reading posts with a pleasant avatar, less time with unpleasant ones. I prefer people with a default avatar or none, having faces or eyes is -1 point (or 2.)

I do, but then again, I think the concept of avatars are overused. Honestly, it's too much of a pop thing now.

That's why I stopped liking Harry Potter, the popularity killed it for me.

Influence you how? About like you said. I remember realizing I was doing it unconsciously a while back. A photo with a scowl might have made me think the poster had a negative attitude. Over time though, if a talked to them enough, I'd realize I was getting the wrong impression and the avatar was where it was coming from. I don't, or at least try not to do that anymore. I was curious because I tend to use various avatars with different expressions, but when I pick them out, it doesn't have anything to do with my mood. At least not consciously. it occurred to me what I'm using at any given moment, could explain some reactions I get. Then again, it could be just the words too. I can be pretty blunt when I'm just trying to be brief. Which I'm often not good at anyway.

Not really, unless it is something really extreme.

It does affect me the same as member names do. I somehow look for something familiar. If someone uses a name or an avatar I could almost have chosen myself, I feel my friendlier to that person. Silly I know.

Sometimes I get sexually aroused by avatars

Wow, that's disturbing. Responding like that always struck me as just another form of conformity.

As for avatars, yes they influence me but I'm not conscious of how beyond that if someone changes it I think they're a different person. It also often takes me a long while to understand what's depicted. I start out seeing a pattern of light and sometimes months later am startled by the realization that it depicts something. I also find some more aversive than others and others more pleasant. It's not tied much to whether the avatar is happy looking or not though. I often find cheerful cartoon ones unpleasant for instance. My favorites are ones that evoke certain visual textures though. Like mine. It's more about aesthetics than mood of any people depicted usually. Or at least when it's about mood it's rarely as simple as happy good angry bad.

Your avatar is a bit suspicious when that is taken into account.