The Impact of Avatar Stylization on Trust

Virtual Reality (VR) affords great freedom in how one represents themselves in virtual interactions through the selection of different avatars. However, it remains unclear which avatar should be chosen for a given social scenario. Social interaction often relies on the establishment of trust. Are people more likely to trust you if you select a highly realistic avatar or is there flexibility in representation? This work presents a study exploring this question using a high stakes medical scenario. Participants meet three different doctors with three different style levels: realistic, caricatured, and an in-between "Mid" level. Trust ratings are largely consistent across the style levels, but participants were more likely to select doctors with the "Mid" level of stylization for a second opinion. There is a clear preference against one of the three doctor identities, with evidence that this may be related to movement features.