Licensing Effect of Pro-Environmental Behavior in Metaverse

Abstract

The Metaverse is an important virtual venue in people's daily lives. This study examined whether pro-environmental behaviors in the Metaverse with a self-customized avatar lead to licensing effects, thereby reducing pro-environmental intention in reality. In addition, the study examined the mediating effect of self-presence on the relationship between avatar customization and pro-environmental behavior. A laboratory experiment was conducted using ZEPETO, a Metaverse platform. A total of 60 participants were randomly assigned to the self-customized avatar condition or the assigned avatar condition, and they engaged in pro-environmental behaviors on the Metaverse platform. Participants with self-customized avatars had less intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior in reality after engaging in pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse than those with assigned avatars. Furthermore, self-presence partially mediated the relationship between avatar customization and pro-environmental intention.

Introduction

The Metaverse constitutes an important virtual venue in our daily lives. The term itself combines the words “meta,” meaning transcendence, and “universe,” which refers to a three-dimensional (3D) virtual space where socioeconomic activities, the same exists in reality, occur.¹ Smart et al.² initially proposed Metaverse as a new social space. They classified Metaverse as a subconcept that included virtual worlds, mirror worlds, augmented reality (AR), and lifelogging. However, the modern Metaverse environment is more complicated and cannot simply be classified into one of these four categories. Nevertheless, some common properties include (a) being able to create a variety of “me” (i.e., avatars); (b) having a world (i.e., worldview), that is, the principles on which the Metaverse works (e.g., rule, shape, and structure); and (c) being free to customize the world and avatar.^3,4

The Metaverse boom that originated in the gaming and info-communications industries has spread to a variety of fields—political, commercial, and sociocultural.^5,6 For example, the concert of Travis Scott, a hip-hop artist, in Fortnite attracted more than 30 million people who attended the virtual event in their in-game avatars. The University of California, Berkeley, recreated its campus and held a graduation ceremony in Minecraft.⁷ The use of the Metaverse in such fields implies that promoting pro-environmental intention—the intention to engage in pro-environmental behavior—is possible in the same manner as environmental campaigns within the Metaverse.

Pro-environmental behavior refers to conscious behavior aimed at minimizing environmental damage. It includes behaviors such as choosing eco-friendly products and taking action to preserve the environment.^8,9 Previous research suggests that virtual reality and immersive technologies are promising tools for increasing awareness on current environmental issues and promoting individuals' pro-environmental intention.^10,11 Despite these studies, relatively little is known about how the experiences of engaging in pro-environmental behaviors in the Metaverse affect subsequent pro-environmental intention.

This study proposes that sustainable behaviors in the Metaverse will result in a licensing effect in reality. As past behavior can provide moral credit and lead to increased moral self-esteem,^12–14 pro-environmental behavior via avatars in the Metaverse would provide pro-environmental credit. As the Metaverse is a place where individuals are connected in ways that emulate reality, we expect that the credit accumulated in the Metaverse would reduce the likelihood of individuals exhibiting pro-environmental intention in reality because of the licensing effect.

However, if the Metaverse avatar does not resemble one's actual self, pro-environmental credit may not accumulate. In addition, by examining the impact of avatar customization, which increases the level of self-presence—the state in which the user experiences a virtual self as if they were a real person^15,16—this study examines whether avatar customization increases self-presence. Moreover, it assesses whether self-presence mediates the relationship between avatar customization and pro-environmental intention in reality, that is, the occurrence of a licensing effect.

A new virtual world: the Metaverse

When the term “Metaverse” first appeared in Neal Stephenson's 1992 novel Snow Crash, it was defined as a virtual world where avatars lived. This is not considerably different from the definition of the virtual world: the shared and simulated spaces that are populated and shaped by their inhabitants represented as avatars.¹⁷ Today, Metaverse platforms can be accessed through mobile devices.^1,18 As free entry and exit into the virtual world become possible, connectivity with reality has become a major Metaverse feature. Furthermore, today, the Metaverse is defined as a 3D virtual space wherein socioeconomic activities, similar to those existing in reality, take place.¹⁹

The virtual world can be broadly classified into two types: game-oriented and socially oriented virtual worlds. The World of Warcraft is one of the most popular role-playing game-oriented virtual worlds. In contrast, Second Life is a representative example of a socially oriented virtual world, with the primary differentiating feature being the extent of freedom.^20,21 Research on the virtual world has been conducted in various fields.^22–25 For example, studies show that embodiment in the virtual world can improve the health self-efficacy of overweight adult women, thereby improving their exercise efficacy and helping them lose weight.²⁶ Other studies note that empathy for pro-social issues in the virtual world can lead to empathy in another unrelated pro-social context in the real world.²⁷

Avatar and self-presence

An individual's embodiment in the virtual space is a key factor in the Metaverse.³ Studies related to avatars have been actively conducted in the context of the virtual world. For example, in the virtual world of the World of Warcraft, participants assigned attractive avatars outperformed their counterparts, whereas participants assigned to tall avatars acted confidently in the negotiation task.²⁸ Moon et al. investigated an avatar-mediated interaction between a consumer and a salesperson and a peer consumer in a virtual store environment in Second Life and found that this virtual interaction influenced consumers' shopping experience and brand evaluation.²⁹

In the Metaverse, users can customize their avatars—the inhabitants of the virtual world—using various features (e.g., hair, skin, and clothes). Studies have examined whether users can project themselves into customizable avatars.³⁰ For example, avatar customization allows users to actively reflect on and express their values and identity, thus helping them affirm the integrity of the self.³¹ Users experience the Metaverse through this extension of their self.³² For the activities experienced through avatars in the Metaverse to affect one's reality, they must first be considered real. The psychological sense of “being there” while being in a physically different environment is called presence.^33–35 Presence can be further classified into spatial, social, and self-presence.³² Self-presence is regarded as one of the most relevant concepts for understanding the effects of avatars on the real world.^36–38

Self-presence refers to a state in which a user experiences a virtual self (avatar) as if it were their real self, which leads to a different perception of themselves within virtual environments.^15,16 If a user's sense of self-presence through these avatars is high, they will experience a stronger effect of such avatars in reality, thereby leading to a higher possibility that these users imitate the behavior of their avatars.^33,39 Therefore, one may posit that the extent to which the virtual environment experience affects user behavior in reality varies based on the level of self-presence. In addition, people who experience virtual sense environments using self-customized avatars show a higher self-presence than those without customized avatars.^30,37,38 Thus, users who self-customize their avatars will be more affected by their actions in the virtual world.

Licensing effect and pro-environmental intention

Owing to its interconnections with reality, the Metaverse can easily attract people and promote users' pro-social behaviors. However, according to the licensing effect, a user's actions in the Metaverse may not always lead to pro-social behavior. The licensing effect suggests that individuals are more likely to engage in fewer moral acts in the future because past actions provide moral credit and increase their moral self-esteem.^12–14 This effect explains a few interesting phenomena: Individuals who donate to charities are found to show low pro-environmental intention in the future, and fraud increases when individuals are asked to solve math problems after being asked to imagine themselves making donations.^40,41

Although the transfer of the licensing effect from the game to the offline environment has been well documented,⁴¹ few studies have focused on the transfer of the licensing effect from the Metaverse to the offline environment. Our focus area is pro-environmental intention: Will those who have acted in an environmentally beneficial manner in the Metaverse exhibit reduced pro-environmental intention in reality because of the licensing effect? Pro-environmental or ecological behavior is defined as behavior that is consciously pursued to minimize environmental damage to the Earth.⁴² In a more comprehensive sense, pro-environmental behavior comprises purposeful actions that can reduce negative impacts on the environment.⁴³

Thus, recycling, bringing one's own shopping bags to the grocery store, green activism, supporting charitable causes, and purchasing eco-friendly products all constitute pro-environmental behaviors.^44–47 Pro-environmental intention reflects the willingness to engage in such behavior. For actions aimed at collective future interests, people must give up their current personal interests and spend their energy, money, or time.⁴⁸ Recycling consumes time and effort but can help prevent excessive waste from being incinerated and destroying the Earth's atmosphere.

The possibility that moral licensing is triggered by pro-environmental behavior is related to the fact that such behavior is essentially pro-social⁴⁹; therefore, pro-environmental behavior is perceived as moral.⁵⁰ For the licensing effect to occur, pro-environmental credit must first be acquired by recognizing that the individual participates in pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse. Therefore, it is crucial to determine whether experiences with an avatar in the Metaverse are perceived as an extension of the users' actual experiences. In some cases, however, the avatar used in the Metaverse can be regarded as a simple game character and not an extension of the self; thus, the avatar's behavior can only be accepted as playing a game character in the virtual world.

For an avatar's behavior to be considered real, the level of self-presence must first be increased for the user's avatar; customizing one's avatar can be a means of improving its self-presence. Hence, we posit that those who experience increased self-presence by customizing their avatars exhibit reduced pro-environmental intentions in the real world after engaging in pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse compared with those who have a relatively low sense of self-presence using an assigned avatar, which is caused by the licensing effect. Therefore, the following hypotheses are proposed:

H1: The licensing effect differs depending on whether the avatar is customized or assigned.

H2: Self-presence mediates the relationship between avatar customization and offline pro-environmental intentions.

Materials and Methods

To test whether avatar customization (assigned vs. self-customized) affects pro-environmental intention in reality after engaging in pro-environmental behavior through a Metaverse avatar, we adopted a single-factor between-participant design. Participants were randomly assigned to one of the two conditions.

Stimuli

ZEPETO is a free mobile application that provides AR, 3D avatars, and social networking services. Launched in August 2018 in 165 markets worldwide, the platform currently has more than 200 million users.⁵¹ Using the facial recognition technology, users can create 3D avatars resembling themselves. They can also communicate with other users and have various virtual reality experiences in ZEPETO-supplied or user-produced environments. For the experimental setting, we used the “ZEPETO Build It” program to create a virtual cafe, “GREEN CAFÉ” (Fig. 1), in ZEPETO. The first floor of the cafe was designed like a real cafe, whereas the second floor was created for pro-social campaigns and decorated with multiple pro-environmental behavior campaign posters.

FIG. 1.

Screenshots of the virtual cafe (GREEN CAFE) in ZEPETO.

Participants and procedure

Sixty participants (65 percent female; M_age = 23.82 years; SD_age = 3.49) were recruited on a voluntary basis from a major university in Seoul, South Korea. All participants received 5,000 Korean won (KRW) to participate. The study was conducted in accordance with the ethical standards for the treatment of experimental human volunteers. All participants provided informed consent before participation.

Once they entered the laboratory and provided informed consent, the participants received instructions with a description of the ZEPETO app. Before entering the ZEPETO world, the participants in the self-customized avatar condition were asked to create avatars based on their selfies. These participants customized their avatar's appearance based on key features such as eyes, nose, mouth, and hair, and then purchased and dressed the avatar in their usual style of clothing. Participants in the assigned avatar condition were provided with a predesigned avatar (Fig. 2) and were directed to enter the ZEPETO world. All participants were given instructions about operating their avatar and were asked to walk around the cafe. They were then asked to move to the second floor and carefully read the campaign posters. After reading the posters, they were quizzed, and everyone provided correct answers. Finally, they were informed that 10,000 KRW had been donated to a nonprofit organization supporting the environment.

FIG. 2.

Examples of avatars used by participants: (A) self-customized avatar and (B) assigned avatar.

After their experience in the Metaverse, participants were asked to respond to a series of questions related to environmental concerns and self-presence. In addition, participants were asked to evaluate their attitude and purchase intention for three eco-friendly products (mask, toothbrush, and hand wash) and environmental intention. Subsequently, they were fully debriefed.

Measures

To test the licensing effect and our proposed hypotheses, three dependent variables were employed to measure pro-environmental intention; the intention to perform pro-environmental behaviors that consciously seek to minimize the negative impact of one's actions on the natural and built world⁴²: “attitude toward eco-friendly products,” “intention to purchase eco-friendly products,” and “environmental intention.” The attitude toward eco-friendly products (α = 0.93) and intention to purchase eco-friendly products (α = 0.96) were assessed using scales modified from MacKenzie et al.'s study.⁵²

Environmental intention, the intention to perform actions that contribute toward environmental preservation and/or conservation (e.g., “I am willing to pay more each month for electricity if it meant cleaner air”; “I am willing to make personal sacrifices for the sake of slowing down pollution even though the immediate results may not seem significant”), was measured using five items (α = 0.91).⁴⁰ Self-presence was measured using Behm-Morawitz's four items³² (α = 0.81). Finally, environmental concern was measured using three items^53,54 (α = 0.76). All constructs (Appendix Table A1) were measured using a 7-point Likert-type scale, ranging from 1 = “strongly disagree” to 7 = “strongly agree.”

Results

A series of one-way analyses of covariance were conducted using environmental concern as a covariate. The results revealed significant differences in pro-environmental intention (i.e., attitude toward and intention to buy eco-friendly products and environmental intention) between the assigned and self-customized conditions (Fig. 3). A single index was created by pooling the data of the three products (mask, toothbrush, and hand wash). Participants in the self-customized condition assessed eco-friendly products less positively (M = 4.65, SD = 1.33) than those in the assigned condition (M = 5.70, SD = 0.93), F = 10.31, p < 0.01, η² = 0.15.

FIG. 3.

The mean values of attitude toward eco-friendly products, intention to purchase eco-friendly products, and environmental intention by avatar customization.

Furthermore, participants in the self-customized condition had less intention to purchase eco-friendly products (M = 3.55, SD = 1.56) than those in the assigned condition (M = 5.03, SD = 1.01), F = 17.36, p < 0.01, η² = 0.23. Finally, participants in the self-customized condition showed less environmental intention (M = 3.77, SD = 1.29) than those in the assigned condition (M = 4.93, SD = 1.08), F = 12.16, p < 0.01, η² = 0.18. The results demonstrated that participants who were assigned to the self-customized condition showed lower levels of subsequent pro-environmental intention in reality; therefore, H1 was supported.

We conducted an additional analysis to examine the mediating role of self-presence. Model 4 of the PROCESS macro⁵⁵ was used, with 5,000 bootstrapped samples and a 95% confidence level. Three separate mediation tests were conducted, and environmental concerns were included as covariates. Table 1 presents the results of mediation analysis. Self-presence mediates the effect of avatar customization on pro-environmental intention (Fig. 4). Avatar customization was positively related to self-presence (B = 0.40, SE = 0.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] [0.10 to 0.71]). Self-presence was negatively related to attitude toward eco-friendly products (B = −0.38, SE = 0.12, 95% CI [−0.62 to −0.15]), intention to purchase eco-friendly products (B = −0.51, SE = 0.11, 95% CI [−0.73 to −0.28]), and environmental intention (B = −0.52, SE = 0.10, 95% CI [−0.73 to −0.31]).

FIG. 4.

Mediation model of avatar customization on (A) attitude toward eco-friendly products, (B) intention to purchase eco-friendly products, and (C) environmental intention through self-presence.

Table 1.

Total, Direct, and Indirect Effects

	B (SE)	95% LLCI	95% UCLI
Total effects
Avatar customization → Attitude toward eco-friendly products	−0.46^** (0.14)	−0.7541	−0.1747
Avatar customization → Intention to purchase eco-friendly products	−0.62^*** (0.15)	−0.9143	−0.3207
Avatar customization → Environmental intention	−0.49^*** (0.14)	−0.7712	−0.2086
Direct effects
Avatar customization → Attitude toward eco-friendly products	−0.31^* (0.14)	−0.5946	−0.0262
Avatar customization → Intention to purchase eco-friendly products	−0.41^** (0.14)	−0.6845	−0.1412
Avatar customization → Environmental intention	−0.28^* (0.12)	−0.5300	−0.0309
Indirect effects
Avatar customization→ Self-presence → Attitude toward eco-friendly products	−0.15 (0.11)	−0.4334	−0.0142
Avatar customization → Self-presence → Intention to purchase eco-friendly products	−0.20 (0.11)	−0.4491	−0.0348
Avatar customization→ Self-presence → Environmental intention	−0.21 (0.10)	−0.4407	−0.0371

Unstandardized B coefficients (with boot SE in parentheses).

***

p < 0.001, ^**p < 0.01, ^*p < 0.05.

LLCI, lower-level confidence interval; SE, standard error; UCLI, upper-level confidence interval.

The bootstrapped CIs for the indirect effects of avatar customization on pro-environmental intention through self-presence did not include zero (avatar customization → self-presence → attitude toward eco-friendly products: B = −0.15, 95% CI [−0.43 to −0.01]; avatar customization → self-presence → intention to purchase eco-friendly products: B = −0.20, 95% CI [−0.45 to −0.03]; avatar customization → self-presence → environmental intention: B = −0.21, 95% CI [−0.44 to −0.04]). Considering that avatar customization had a significant direct effect on pro-environmental intention, these results revealed that self-presence partially mediated the relationship between avatar customization and pro-environmental intention.

Discussion

This study examined whether pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse reduces the intention to engage in pro-environmental intention in reality because of licensing effects. Our results show that the self-customization of avatars can reduce pro-environmental behavior in reality after individuals engage in pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse. Furthermore, self-presence partially mediated the relationship between avatar customization and pro-environmental intention.

Consistent with the theoretical framework, we found that pro-environmental behavior through avatars in the Metaverse reduces subsequent pro-environmental intention in reality because of the licensing effect. Studies^40,41 have verified the licensing effect in offline contexts. Although one study expanded the context to a computer-mediated environment,⁵⁶ it was limited by its relatively poor association with the real world because it was conducted for a first-person shooting game where the mission was to kill the opponent, and participants were unable to identify themselves in such contexts.

The current study offers significant theoretical implications by proving that the licensing effect can be transferred to reality through actions in the Metaverse and not just in an offline environment. Our identification of self-presence as a mechanism for this transfer has significant implications for the development of the self-presence literature. Furthermore, regarding the relationship between avatar and self-presence,^30,37–39 our study confirmed the mediating role of self-presence between avatar customization and actual behavior in the real world after experiencing the Metaverse.

Our findings have practical implications for marketing managers. Sustainability has recently emerged as a common global goal; therefore, companies are making eco-friendly products or emphasizing the importance of sustainable production.^57–59 The Metaverse, which is accessible anytime and anywhere through digital devices, can be a great tool for pro-environmental marketing. In addition, creating a pro-environmental space in the Metaverse and marketing can be more efficient than creating a physical space in the real world for the same.

However, our findings showed that if individuals whose self-presence was increased through avatar customization were involved in pro-environmental behaviors in the Metaverse, their intention to participate in pro-environmental behavior decreased because of the licensing effect. Therefore, marketing managers considering the Metaverse as a marketing tool should note that users' sense of self-presence in the Metaverse would influence their intentions in reality. Accordingly, the exceptional effects of pro-environmental marketing in the Metaverse should be considered in reality.

This study has several limitations. The sample size was relatively small, and most participants were young women. To increase the generalizability of the results, future research should increase the sample size and recruit participants of different ages with a similar sex ratio to enhance external validity. Additionally, we reduced the difficulty level of our quiz to ensure that all participants could engage in pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse. Participants would need to make more effort to engage in more difficult pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse, thereby likely increasing the level of immersion in pro-environmental behavior.^60,61

Future research can investigate the occurrence of licensing effects based on the difficulty of performing pro-environmental behaviors in the Metaverse. Moreover, unlike the actual Metaverse environment, wherein many avatars interact, we had only one participant avatar connected individually to the Metaverse. Depending on whether other avatars witness pro-environmental behavior in the Metaverse, the licensing effect may differ because pro-social behavior in public situations can lead to subsequent pro-environmental intentions.^62,63 Therefore, future research can investigate whether licensing effects in the Metaverse will occur when avatars witness other users' pro-environmental behavior.

As the Metaverse and reality are interconnected, this study examined the effect of the Metaverse experience on behavioral intention in reality. However, further research is required to understand how such an experience would affect subsequent consumer behavior in the Metaverse. In addition, this study used a self-report questionnaire. Previous research suggests that pro-environmental intention is not necessarily a proxy for actual pro-environmental behavior, as shown by the so-called “environmental values–behavior gap.”^42,64 Therefore, it is necessary to find ways to measure actual pro-environmental behavior.

Footnotes

Author Disclosure Statement

No competing financial interests exist.

Funding Information

This work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea (NRF-2019S1A3A2099973).

Appendix Table A1. Measures

Variable	Items
Pro-environmental intention	Attitude toward eco-friendly products (α = 0.93)
	L-eco's mask is good
	L-eco's mask is favorable
	I like L-eco's mask
	Intention to purchase eco-friendly products (α = 0.96)
	It is likely that I will buy this product
	I will probably buy this product
	If I were going to buy this product, I would consider buying it
	Environmental intention (α = 0.91)
	I am willing to sign a petition to support an environmental cause
	I am willing to join an organization which is devoted to the environment
	I am willing to pay more each month for electricity if it meant cleaner air
	I am willing to stop buying products from companies guilty of polluting the environment even though it might be inconvenient for me
	I am willing to make personal sacrifices for the sake of slowing down pollution even though the immediate results may not seem significant
Self-presence (α = 0.81)	How much do you feel like your avatar is an extension of yourself?
	How much do feel like your avatar is just a character and is not really you?
	While in-world, how much do you feel like you are actually in the world as your avatar is in the world?
	While in-world, how much do you feel like you are experiencing what your avatar is experiencing?
Environmental concern (α = 0.76)	Environmental problems are of great concern to me personally
	I often talk to my family, friends, and acquaintances about various environmentally friendly products or activities
	I know more about environmental issues than the average person

References

Hollensen

, Kotler

, Opresnik

. Metaverse–the new marketing universe. Journal of Business Strategy 2022.

Smart

, Cascio

, Paffendorf

Metaverse roadmap overview. Accelerated Studies Foundation. www.metaverseroadmap.org/overview/index.html (accessed Nov. 9, 2021).

Roblox. Founder & CEO David Baszucki Keynote | RDC 2020 [Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G00GlCJc0mU&t=1408s (accessed Nov. 9, 2021).

Dean

Roblox CEO Dave Baszucki believes users will create the metaverse. VentureBeat. https://venturebeat.com/2021/01/27/roblox-ceo-dave-baszucki-believes-users-will-create-the-metaverse/ (accessed Nov. 8, 2021).

Cathy

Andrew yang turns himself into an avatar and campaigns in the Metaverse. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/cathyhackl/2021/06/11/andrew-yang-turns-himself-into-an-avatar-and-campaigns-in-the-metaverse/?sh=9e0b4932460a (accessed Nov. 8, 2021).

Marty

Ralph lauren is now selling digital apparel for avatars inside of ZEPETO. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/martyswant/2021/08/25/ralph-lauren-is-now-selling-digital-apparel-for-avatars-inside-of-zepeto/?sh=45917cc63690 (accessed Nov. 8, 2021).

Stephen

Welcome to the ‘Metaverse’. Forbes. https://www.forbes.com/sites/stephenmcbride1/2021/03/23/welcome-to-the-metaverse/?sh=1c4f9d5f720c (accessed Nov. 2, 2021).

Bamberg

How does environmental concern influence specific environmentally related behaviors? A new answer to an old question. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2003; 23:21–32.

Barbarossa

, De Pelsmacker

. Positive and negative antecedents of purchasing eco-friendly products: A comparison between green and non-green consumers. Journal of Business Ethics, 2016; 134:229–247.

10.

Deringer

, Hanley

. Virtual reality of nature can be as effective as actual nature in promoting ecological behavior. Ecopsychology, 2021; 13:219–226.

11.

Scurati

, Bertoni

, Graziosi

, et al. Exploring the use of virtual reality to support environmentally sustainable behavior: A framework to design experiences. Sustainability, 2021; 13:943.

12.

Khan

, Dhar

. Licensing effect in consumer choice. Journal of Marketing Research, 2006; 43:259–266.

13.

Merritt

, Effron

, Monin

. Moral self-licensing: When being good frees us to be bad. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 2010; 4:344–357.

14.

Miller

, Effron

. (2010) Psychological license: When it is needed and how it functions. In Zanna MP, Olson JM, eds. Advances in experimental social psychology. San Diego, CA: Academic Press, pp. 115–155.

15.

Tamborini

, Skalski

. (2006) The role of presence in the experience of electronic games. In Vorderer

, Bryant

, eds. Playing video games: Motives, responses, and consequences. Vol. 1. Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, pp. 225–240.

16.

Ratan

. (2013) Self-presence, explicated: Body, emotion, and identity extension into the virtual self. In Luppicini

, ed. Handbook of research on technoself: Identity in a technological society. Hershey, PA: IGI Global, pp. 322–336.

17.

Girvan

What is a virtual world? Definition and classification. Educational Technology Research and Development, 2018; 66:1087–1100.

18.

Lee

JY.

A study on metaverse hype for sustainable growth. International Journal of Advanced Smart Convergence, 2021; 10:72–80.

19.

Hendaoui

, Limayem

, Thompson

. 3D social virtual worlds: Research issues and challenges. IEEE Internet Computing, 2008; 12:88–92.

20.

Nagy

, Koles

. The digital transformation of human identity: Towards a conceptual model of virtual identity in virtual worlds. Convergence, 2014; 20:276–292.

21.

Papagiannidis

, Bourlakis

, Li

. Making real money in virtual worlds: MMORPGs and emerging business opportunities, challenges and ethical implications in metaverses. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 2008; 75:610–622.

22.

Armbrüster

, Wolter

, Kuhlen

, et al. Depth perception in virtual reality: Distance estimations in peri-and extrapersonal space. Cyberpsychology & Behavior, 2008; 11:9–15.

23.

Chesney

, Chuah

, Hoffmann

. Virtual world experimentation: An exploratory study. Journal of Economic Behavior & Organization, 2009; 72:618–635.

24.

Andrade

, Bagri

, Zaw

, et al. Avatar-mediated training in the delivery of bad news in a virtual world. Journal of Palliative Medicine, 2010; 13:1415–1419.

25.

Rice

, Schroeder

. In-person and virtual world mindfulness training: Trust, satisfaction, and learning. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2021; 24:526–535.

26.

Behm-Morawitz

, Lewallen

, Choi

. A second chance at health: How a 3D virtual world can improve health self-efficacy for weight loss management among adults. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2016; 19:74–79.

27.

Mado

, Herrera

, Nowak

, et al. Effect of virtual reality perspective-taking on related and unrelated contexts. Cyberpsychology, Behavior, and Social Networking, 2021; 24:839–845.

28.

Yee

, Bailenson

, Ducheneaut

. The Proteus effect: Implications of transformed digital self-representation on online and offline behavior. Communication Research, 2009; 36:285–312.

29.

Moon

, Kim

, Choi

, et al. Keep the social in social media: The role of social interaction in avatar-based virtual shopping. Journal of Interactive Advertising, 2013; 13:14–26.

30.

Bailey

, Wise

, Bolls

. How avatar customizability affects children's arousal and subjective presence during junk food–sponsored online video games. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 2009; 12:277–283.

31.

Kang

, Kim

. My avatar and the affirmed self: Psychological and persuasive implications of avatar customization. Computers in Human Behavior, 2020; 112:106446.

32.

Behm-Morawitz

Mirrored selves: The influence of self-presence in a virtual world on health, appearance, and well-being. Computers in Human Behavior, 2013; 29:119–128.

33.

Steuer

Defining virtual reality: Dimensions determining telepresence. Journal of Communication, 1992; 42:73–93.

34.

Lombard

, Ditton

. At the heart of it all: The concept of presence. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 1997; 3:JCMC321.

35.

Riva

, Davide

, IJsselsteijn

. (2003) Being there: The experience of presence in mediated environments. In Riva

, Davide

, IJsselsteijn

, eds. Being there: Concepts, effects and measurements of user presence in synthetic environments. Vol. 5. Washington, DC: IOS Press, pp. 3–16.

36.

Wang

, Butt

, Zhang

, et al. Gaming avatar can influence sustainable healthy lifestyle: Be like an avatar. Sustainability, 2020; 12:1998.

37.

Jin

SAA.

The virtual malleable self and the virtual identity discrepancy model: Investigative frameworks for virtual possible selves and others in avatar-based identity construction and social interaction. Computers in Human Behavior, 2012; 28:2160–2168.

38.

Hooi

, Cho

. Avatar-driven self-disclosure: The virtual me is the actual me. Computers in Human Behavior, 2014; 39:20–28.

39.

Fox

, Bailenson

, Binney

. Virtual experiences, physical behaviors: The effect of presence on imitation of an eating avatar. Presence: Teleoperators and Virtual Environments, 2009; 18:294–303.

40.

Meijers

, Verlegh

, Noordewier

, et al. The dark side of donating: How donating may license environmentally unfriendly behavior. Social Influence, 2015; 10:250–263.

41.

Brown

, Tamborski

, Wang

, et al. Moral credentialing and the rationalization of misconduct. Ethics & Behavior, 2011; 21:1–12.

42.

Kollmuss

, Agyeman

. Mind the gap: Why do people act environmentally and what are the barriers to pro-environmental behavior?. Environmental Education Research, 2002; 8:239–260.

43.

, Zhao

, Ma

, et al. What influences an individual's pro-environmental behavior? A literature review. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2019; 146:28–34.

44.

Mannetti

, Pierro

, Livi

. Recycling: Planned and self-expressive behaviour. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2004; 24:227–236.

45.

Chan

, Wong

, Leung

. Applying ethical concepts to the study of green consumer behavior: An analysis of Chinese consumers' intentions to bring their own shopping bags. Journal of Business Ethics, 2008; 79:469–481.

46.

White

, Peloza

. Self-benefit versus other-benefit marketing appeals: Their effectiveness in generating charitable support. Journal of Marketing, 2009; 73:109–124.

47.

Dono

, Webb

, Richardson

. The relationship between environmental activism, pro-environmental behaviour and social identity. Journal of Environmental Psychology, 2010; 30:178–186.

48.

Newell

, McDonald

, Brewer

, et al. The psychology of environmental decisions. Annual Review of Environment and Resources, 2014; 39:443–467.

49.

Kaiser

, Byrka

. Environmentalism as a trait: Gauging people's prosocial personality in terms of environmental engagement. International Journal of Psychology, 2011; 46:71–79.

50.

Mazar

, Zhong

. Do green products make us better people?. Psychological Science, 2010; 21:494–498.

51.

Song

SH.

Invitation to Metaverse. The Korea Herald. www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210624000584 (accessed Nov. 11, 2021).

52.

MacKenzie

, Lutz

, Belch

. The role of attitude toward the ad as a mediator of advertising effectiveness: A test of competing explanations. Journal of Marketing Research, 1986; 23:130–143.

53.

Ellen

, Wiener

, Cobb-Walgren

. The role of perceived consumer effectiveness in motivating environmentally conscious behaviors. Journal of Public Policy & Marketing, 1991; 10:102–117.

54.

Park

, Cheon

, Kim

. Consumer's attitude to the attributes of green products and their quality evaluation: Focused on the moderating effect of consumers' environmental involvement. The Academy of Customer Satisfaction Management, 2011; 13:129–149.

55.

Hayes

AF.

(2017) Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis: A regression-based approach. New York: The Guilford Press.

56.

Iten

, Bopp

, Steiner

, et al. Does a prosocial decision in video games lead to increased prosocial real-life behavior? The impact of reward and reasoning. Computers in Human Behavior, 2018; 89:163–172.

57.

Hens

, Block

, Cabello-Eras

, et al. On the evolution of “Cleaner Production” as a concept and a practice. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2018; 172:3323–3333.

58.

Khan

, Mohsin

. The power of emotional value: Exploring the effects of values on green product consumer choice behavior. Journal of Cleaner Production, 2017; 150: 65–74.

59.

Singh

, Sung

, Cooper

, et al. Challenges and opportunities for scaling up upcycling businesses–The case of textile and wood upcycling businesses in the UK. Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 2019; 150: 104439.

60.

Lee

, Suh

, Son

, et al. Patient perspectives on virtual reality-based rehabilitation after knee surgery: Importance of level of difficulty. Journal of Rehabilitation Research & Development, 2016; 53:239–252.

61.

Tian

, Bian

, Han

, et al. Physiological signal analysis for evaluating flow during playing of computer games of varying difficulty. Frontiers in Psychology, 2017; 8:1121.

62.

Gneezy

, Imas

, Brown

, et al. Paying to be nice: Consistency and costly prosocial behavior. Management Science, 2012; 58:179–187.

63.

Spielmann

Green is the new white: How virtue motivates green product purchase. Journal of Business Ethics, 2020; 173:759–776.

64.

Kennedy

, Beckley

, McFarlane

, et al. Why we don't “walk the talk”: Understanding the environmental values/behaviour gap in Canada. Human Ecology Review, 2009; 16:151–160.