Due to its prominent role in online social networks, avatar creation has become an important research topic in the field of computer-mediated communication. One main motive for creating avatars is the representation of one’s own identity. Previous research indicates that avatar creation depends on the activity context for which the avatar is created. Though, studies comparing avatar creation for a wide variety of activity contexts are still missing. The present study addresses this empirical gap by examining (1) the self-representation of physical, demographical, and personality characteristics through avatars, (2) differences in self-representation between various online activity contexts, and (3) between-participant variance in ascribed personality traits. Participants attributed physical, demographical, and personality characteristics to their avatar for one of six online activity contexts and indicated the same characteristics for their actual and ideal selves. We analysed the data of 568 participants and found a high level of congruence between demographical/physical characteristics of the avatar, the actual self, and the ideal self. Furthermore, we found an idealised representation of the avatar’s personality traits, which was affected by the specific activity context. Last, the between-participant variance in the avatar’s personality traits was mainly larger than the variance in the ideal self but smaller than the variance in the actual self, indicating a link between avatar creation and social norms. These results deliver new insights into the strategies behind avatar creation in different contexts and build a basis for future research and practical implications for developers and designers of virtual worlds.

由于其在在线社交网络中的突出作用，化身创建已成为计算机媒介传播领域的重要研究课题。创建化身的一个主要动机是代表自己的身份。先前的研究表明，化身的创建取决于为其创建化身的活动上下文。但是，仍然缺少比较各种活动背景下的化身创建的研究。本研究通过检查（1）通过化身对身体、人口统计和人格特征的自我表征，（2）各种在线活动环境之间自我表征的差异，以及（3）参与者之间的差异来解决这一经验差距。归因的人格特征。参与者归因于身体，人口统计，六种在线活动环境之一的化身和个性特征，并为他们的实际和理想自我表明相同的特征。我们分析了 568 名参与者的数据，发现化身的人口统计/身体特征、实际自我和理想自我之间高度一致。此外，我们发现了受特定活动背景影响的化身人格特征的理想化表示。最后，化身人格特征的参与者间差异主要大于理想自我的差异，但小于实际自我的差异，表明化身创造与社会规范之间存在联系。