Avatar Psychology

[Funkyterrance]

I've been thinking about avatars a lot when I come on here lately. Are they windows to the soul? Does your avatar affect the way you peers view you? Can you grow to hate someone solely based on their avatar? I think the answer to all these questions are yes but I'd like to hear the varying opinions. Consider this thread a catch-all for the psychology behind avatars.
Further questions:

What does it mean,psychologically speaking, when a player puts their actual photo as their avatar?(Promiscuous? Amnesiac?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player has no avatar? (Adopted? Mother Never loved them?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player changes his/her avatar frequently? (Fear of Intimacy? Transvestite?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player never changes his/her avatar?(Failure to Launch? Peter Pan complex? )

For added fun, anytime a new player joins the community we could all psychoanalyze them based on their avatars to make them feel more at home.

[macbone]

Sorry, Funky, I only had Psych 101. I'm not qualified to answer these (or most any other) questions. =)

[nietzsche]

Funkyterrace, meet Reductionism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism

[/]

Yeah man, you can totally turn into your avatar for life.

[Funkyterrance]

Funkyterrace, meet Reductionism.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reductionism

But I'm not here to learn a new method, nietzsche, I am looking to compare notes. Besides, holism is more or less impossible in this setting.

[Army of GOD]

I'm a Nazi

[Funkyterrance]

Sorry, Funky, I only had Psych 101. I'm not qualified to answer these (or most any other) questions. =)

Well, if you can't answer any of those questions you can explain what's going on in your avatar. If it's something positive and accessible you would be supporting my theory.

[x-raider]

But the wording of these question is implying reductionism... No?

What does it mean,psychologically speaking, when a player puts their actual photo as their avatar?(Promiscuous? Amnesiac?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player has no avatar? (Adopted? Mother Never loved them?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player changes his/her avatar frequently? (Fear of Intimacy? Transvestite?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player never changes his/her avatar?(Failure to Launch? Peter Pan complex? )

[Funkyterrance]

But the wording of these question is implying reductionism... No?

What does it mean,psychologically speaking, when a player puts their actual photo as their avatar?(Promiscuous? Amnesiac?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player has no avatar? (Adopted? Mother Never loved them?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player changes his/her avatar frequently? (Fear of Intimacy? Transvestite?)
What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player never changes his/her avatar?(Failure to Launch? Peter Pan complex? )

Yeah, where did I imply otherwise?

[Funkyterrance]

I'm a Nazi

Seeking attention/approval by one's peers was my assessment.

[muy_thaiguy]

Rock on?

[Phatscotty]

Yeah! What does it mean for someone who changes their avatar all the time?!

[Funkyterrance]

Yeah! What does it mean for someone who changes their avatar all the time?!

Your guess is at least as good as mine.

[/]

So Funkyterrance, before we provide you with precious data to further your causes, can you tell us, are you a self righteous control freak with world domination aspirations, and/or do you love fluffy Turkish Angoras?

[Funkyterrance]

So Funkyterrance, before we provide you with precious data to further your causes, can you tell us, are you a self righteous control freak with world domination aspirations, and/or do you love fluffy Turkish Angoras?

Well you know I suppose there are some real correlations there and I was featured in Cat Fancy in 2008 but then again...... heeeyyyyyy!

[jonesthecurl]

I'm a Nazi

I can't believe you're not buddha.

[greenoaks]

i tend to imagine the player as the av they are wearing so a short, chubby guy for AoG is pretty close, right?

[john9blue]

i change my avatar about once every 6 months, does that mean i'm psychologically well-adjusted? because i'm not.

[tzor]

Yeah! What does it mean for someone who changes their avatar all the time?!

What does it mean for someone who changes their ties all the time?!

I even change my facebook profile picture from time to time.

[2dimes]

I even change my facebook profile picture from time to time.

I was kind of sad when you took down the one where you were wearing the green dress.

[Funkyterrance]

i change my avatar about once every 6 months, does that mean i'm psychologically well-adjusted? because i'm not.

That's what I'm trying to get a consensus on. If you change yours frequently and you are not well-adjusted then I have to reconsider my method. It will all gel eventually and I'll be using my Nobel as my avi.

[rdsrds2120]

Yeah! What does it mean for someone who changes their avatar all the time?!

Boredom? I switch mine a lot, but in themes I'll go about a year with each one. Each year since I've been on CC:

Year 1: Pokemon
Year 2: Clan-related
Year 3: Lorax
Year 4: BMO

What will I think of next?!?

BMO

[Johnny Rockets]

Meh......the level of personal involvement in your avatar (choosing , meaning...) will fluctuate between person to person.

I usually have either a picture I deem to be cool, ( Usually found by one of my crew...) or a Johnny Rocket-Fingers themed avatar to go with my Name.

At the moment, I have lazily stuck in a picture of my products after one of my friends suggested I change my avatar due to the elementary school shootings.

It might be rash however to take on the position that a choice of avatar gives any psychological insight to the player behind the picture. If this assumption were accurate, you would have many more avatars such as this:




Or this:




Or perhaps this:




So in closing: A nice theory but.....




JRock

[tzor]

I even change my facebook profile picture from time to time.

I was kind of sad when you took down the one where you were wearing the green dress.

Green Dress?

It was more plum and ... wait a second, I never used THIS as an avatar here ...



It was a football wedding of triplets; I was the mother of the third groom. It got a little strange when the first bride gave birth right after the ceremony, but fun times never the less.

[2dimes]

It was more plum and ... wait a second, I never used THIS as an avatar here ...

Yes but...

What does it mean, psychologically speaking, when a player changes his/her avatar frequently? (Fear of Intimacy? Transvestite?)