The Hidden Face of the Proteus Effect: Deindividuation, Embodiment and Identification

This conference talk from IEEE explores the psychological mechanisms behind the Proteus effect in virtual environments, focusing on how deindividuation works alongside embodiment and identification processes. Discover research findings from two experiments that tested how engineering students performed on statistics tasks when using an Albert Einstein avatar. Learn how the researchers manipulated identity cues to alter deindividuation in their second experiment, and understand the surprising results showing that while deindividuation conditions showed no significant differences, identification and embodiment emerged as key predictors of performance. Gain insights into the potential relationships between avatars and tasks within the Proteus effect framework during this 10-minute presentation from the "Embodiment, Agency, and Interaction" session at IEEE VR 2025.