IMPORTANT NOTICE: The date, time, and room assignment of YOUR presentation is SUBJECT TO CHANGE.
Proposal authors can use this tool to see where they have been placed in the program agenda for an Oral or Poster Session.
Scroll down to search by the Submitter or Author Name, by Date/Time, or by Keywords by expanding FILTERS.
Confirm your place in the schedule by following the instructions that were emailed to you. Each presentation must have a separate paid registration. Contact the ACCI office immedicately by email at admin@consumerinterests.org to report any conflict, all corrections to the details of the presentation (including author names and the order they are listed as this is how it will be in the final program), or if you have any questions. Please be sure to reference the session title(s), date(s), and time(s) when you contact us.
A1a The effect of anthropomorphism of female virtual influencers on women’s objectification and social comparison
Short Description
This study investigates how anthropomorphism in female virtual influencers (VIs) affects women’s objectification and social comparison, focusing on South Korean female social media users. Drawing on social comparison theory and objectification theory, a between-subjects experiment was conducted with 200 women aged 18–35. Participants viewed attractive influencer images presented either in highly anthropomorphic (unaltered humanlike) or low-anthropomorphic (digitally animated) forms. Results showed that higher anthropomorphism increased perceived similarity, which reduced objectification but simultaneously heightened appearance comparisons. In contrast, lower anthropomorphism elicited stronger objectification, as less humanlike bodies were treated with reduced moral concern. These findings indicate that anthropomorphism produces dual and contradictory outcomes: while it can mitigate objectified views of women’s bodies, it also amplifies harmful appearance comparisons that undermine body image and well-being. The study underscores the need for responsible VI design, incorporating diverse body shapes, races, and ethnicities, and calls for further research on mediating roles of appearance schema.
Type of presentation
Accepted Oral Presentation