The Odd One Out: An Experimental Investigation of Avatar-Mediated Communication on Homophily and Trust

The growing use of avatars online has stimulated interest in understanding their influence on interpersonal trust. However, research on avatars in video conferences remains scarce and yields mixed results. Therefore, we conduct an experimental vignette study and assign participants to human-only, avatar-only, or mixed human-avatar treatments to investigate trust behavior. We examine whether avatars are perceived as out-groups relative to human faces and whether this affects trust. Our findings reveal that avatars are not perceived as inherently different and less trustworthy than humans but are only perceived as such in mixed settings. However, we find that avatars increase the overall perceived risk of a situation, leading to lower trust intentions towards avatars. We clarify when avatars may be considered as out-groups and contribute to the research on avatars and trust. While we recognize the potential of avatars in online communication, we highlight potential drawbacks in mixed human-avatar settings.