My virtual lifeMy virtual lifeor, how people learn to live and to or, how people learn to live and to

trust inside virtual worldstrust inside virtual worlds

Aleks KrotoskiAleks KrotoskiDepartment of PsychologyDepartment of Psychology

University of SurreyUniversity of Surrey

This talkThis talk

Richard spoke about an example of Richard spoke about an example of trust in virtual worlds: RMTtrust in virtual worlds: RMT

I’ll be explaining how people live in I’ll be explaining how people live in virtual worlds, how they interact in virtual worlds, how they interact in virtual worlds and how they grow to virtual worlds and how they grow to trust trust one another in virtual worldsone another in virtual worlds

Before I get ahead of myselfBefore I get ahead of myself

The differences between online and The differences between online and offline:offline: AnonymityAnonymity Physical appearancePhysical appearance Physical proximityPhysical proximity Greater transience (more weak ties)Greater transience (more weak ties) Absence of social cuesAbsence of social cues

So how can we expect community to grow?So how can we expect community to grow?

Social groups can look Social groups can look like this…like this…

……or they can look like or they can look like this:this:

London Memorial in the virtual world London Memorial in the virtual world Second LifeSecond Life Between 12-1pm on 7 July 2005, over 150 Between 12-1pm on 7 July 2005, over 150 Second LifeSecond Life

residents visited. It was open for 7 days and racked up residents visited. It was open for 7 days and racked up thousands of visitorsthousands of visitors

Fewer than 10% claimed any British tiesFewer than 10% claimed any British ties Maker’s motivations were altruistic and purely community-Maker’s motivations were altruistic and purely community-

drivendriven

Online community IOnline community I

In traditional definitions of “community”, In traditional definitions of “community”, there’d be no such thing in cyberspacethere’d be no such thing in cyberspace Tied to place, experience and artifacts Tied to place, experience and artifacts To misquote AOL ads, how can you fall for To misquote AOL ads, how can you fall for

someone you’ve never met?someone you’ve never met? But we know that’s not trueBut we know that’s not true

Chatrooms, forums, MySpace, Craig’s List, Chatrooms, forums, MySpace, Craig’s List, London MemorialLondon Memorial

These virtual worlds are the These virtual worlds are the placesplaces which which the online communities are tied to, and the online communities are tied to, and they all rely upon trust heuristicsthey all rely upon trust heuristics

Online community IIOnline community II

Because of their immense size, communities Because of their immense size, communities emerge as sub-groups (guilds) in the virtual world emerge as sub-groups (guilds) in the virtual world population – population – it’s an explicit part of the designit’s an explicit part of the design – – people must rely upon one another to survive and people must rely upon one another to survive and advanceadvance

Form for the same reasons offline communities do:Form for the same reasons offline communities do: Make friends, provide motivation, offer support, meet Make friends, provide motivation, offer support, meet

like-minded otherslike-minded others They’ve also got their own unique purposes:They’ve also got their own unique purposes:

Raid, hunt, gather, ensure safety, divide the bounty of Raid, hunt, gather, ensure safety, divide the bounty of effortsefforts

Whatever role trust plays in offline communities, it Whatever role trust plays in offline communities, it plays in online communities because these plays in online communities because these interactions are human-boundinteractions are human-bound

Trust in virtual communities I: Trust in virtual communities I: we’re all in it togetherwe’re all in it together

Returning to AnonymityReturning to Anonymity Perceived similarity (levelling the playing field)Perceived similarity (levelling the playing field) No social cues, so lots of uncertaintyNo social cues, so lots of uncertainty Expectations of openness and honesty Expectations of openness and honesty

engenders a culture of mutual sharingengenders a culture of mutual sharing Relevant Social Psychological dimension of Relevant Social Psychological dimension of

trusttrust Similarity of goals and valuesSimilarity of goals and values Expectations of future interactionExpectations of future interaction

Trust in virtual communities II: Trust in virtual communities II: Actions speak louder than Actions speak louder than

wordswords You don’t go into virtual worlds to just You don’t go into virtual worlds to just

“be”“be” These are task-oriented environments, These are task-oriented environments,

with high levels of commitment requiredwith high levels of commitment required In the goal-oriented spaces, everyone has In the goal-oriented spaces, everyone has

a role in the social fabric – ownershipa role in the social fabric – ownership Trust develops as a result of historical Trust develops as a result of historical

experience. Which leads to…experience. Which leads to…

Trust in virtual communities III: Trust in virtual communities III: Reputation, reputation, Reputation, reputation,

reputationreputation It’s the only real It’s the only real

currency in virtual currency in virtual worldsworlds

Reputation is the Reputation is the basis for all basis for all relationships in virtual relationships in virtual worldsworlds Think eBayThink eBay

Visual heuristics of Visual heuristics of trust: players can tell trust: players can tell an avatar’s reputation an avatar’s reputation and affiliations just by and affiliations just by lookinglooking

Trust in virtual worlds III: Trust in virtual worlds III: Reputation (continued)Reputation (continued)

Trust is based uponTrust is based upon past experience…past experience… ……which is either based upon functional goals or pre-which is either based upon functional goals or pre-

existing social relationships…existing social relationships… ……or some kind of disinterested third party (e.g., Craig’s or some kind of disinterested third party (e.g., Craig’s

List or MySpace)List or MySpace) And speaking of social networking And speaking of social networking

applications, the same principles work in-applications, the same principles work in-world too world too

Finally, you must comply:Finally, you must comply: A non-official policing force in a space where an A non-official policing force in a space where an

official police is absentofficial police is absent The emphasis is on friendship and dedication to The emphasis is on friendship and dedication to

the groupthe group Rejection is cruelRejection is cruel

Trust in virtual Trust in virtual communities III: Brandingcommunities III: Branding

RMT leads to business models based upon trust in RMT leads to business models based upon trust in a branda brand

More important in social virtual worlds where RMT More important in social virtual worlds where RMT is the gameis the game

In SumIn Sum Virtual communities operate in very similar ways Virtual communities operate in very similar ways

to other communities – both on and offlineto other communities – both on and offline They bring together distributed individuals based They bring together distributed individuals based

on common experience, motivations and on common experience, motivations and reputationreputation

This is particularly true for virtual world This is particularly true for virtual world participants because of the explicit social design participants because of the explicit social design of the softwareof the software

There is a great potential for crossover between There is a great potential for crossover between the two spheres, BUT any new implementations the two spheres, BUT any new implementations should be carefully integrated within the existing should be carefully integrated within the existing social norms of these valuable virtual social norms of these valuable virtual communities lest trust be undermined.communities lest trust be undermined.

Thank youThank you

Aleks KrotoskiAleks Krotoski

a.krotoski@surrey.ac.uka.krotoski@surrey.ac.uk