Attitudes towards avatars and in-game behaviours

Microtransactions - in-game purchases associated with gambling symptomology, excessive gaming and psychological distress - generate substantial revenue for game publishers. Microtransactions facilitate avatar customisation. However, avatar identification (AID) and avatar customisation are yet to be investigated as individual difference factors relating to in-game spending behaviours. This preregistered, online, quantitative, cross-sectional study surveyed 333 participants (61.3%M, 18 to 64 years) to investigate whether AID moderated a relationship between attitudes towards avatar customisation (ATAC) and in-game spending (outcome variable). We investigated relationships between in-game spending and ATAC; in-game spending and multiplayer gameplay; the Risky Loot Box Index and AID; and ATAC and AID. We found extreme evidence for positive associations between ATAC and loot box and non-randomised spending. No moderation effect was detected, however, we found extreme evidence for a relationship between the RLI and AID, implicating AID with risky loot box behaviours. Extreme evidence for a moderate positive association between AID and ATAC supports previous research findings. Results suggest players who care about avatar customisation are more likely to purchase items that provide direct choice rather than purchases that provide chance-based reward. Findings are examined in relation to Self Determination Theory and implications for future research is discussed.