Articles:Better Game Characters by Design: Social Surface
From unthinkMedia
Contents |
The Psychological Principles
The phrase beauty is skin deep, is a common saying, however it is better said then done. By nature humans create immediate biases and assumption based on the look, and initial impression of the person they are meeting for the first time. The belief that we create stick for a long time, even with situations that prove our assumptions incorrect prest themselves.
Our judgments about these people are based on stereotypes—schemas or prototypes in your memory that associate a pattern of cues with a typical set of qualities in a person. These guide unconscious decisions that can effect a situation.
Stereotypes help people make quick assessments so that they do not have to evaluate each person completely “from scratch."
These include:
- wardrobe
- build
- posture
- grooming
- age
- gender
- race
- style of speaking and moving
- the company in which a person is seen
Attractiveness
Studies have shown that many qualities are attributed to people with attractive features—sometimes referred to as the halo effect.
Qualities include:
- being seen as warmer
- kinder
- stronger
- more sensitive
- more outgoing
- more socially persuasive
- dominant
- smarter
- get more lenient sentences in court
- get preference in hiring decisions.
features
- healthy looking
- symmetrical face and body
- straight profile are features
why does this happen:
- evolutionary that attractiveness is an indicator of healthiness
- gazing at attractive features puts people in a positive frame of mind
Traits that are considered attractive could vary though out cultures.
Game Implications
"Most videogame heroes and heroines are attractive, and this encourages the player to see them as smarter, stronger, kinder, and more socially skilled—all benefits of the halo effect." Villans on the other hand are may be, "visually frightening and unappealing, making it plausible that he would become an outcast and an evil figure."
Babyfaces
qualities
- warmer
- more trustworthy
- dependent
- less responsible
- submissive
- manipulable
features
resemble the features of an infant, such as:
- large eyes and pupils
- small chin
- high eyebrows and forehead
- small nose
- full lips and cheeks
why
- evolution encourages people to care for babies and to inhibit any aggression toward them
- baby with mature features does not get cared for as well as other babies and may be rejected
game implications
characters take advantage of the babyface effect, evoking additional player sympathy and warmth and reducing expectations.
