Les consommateurs des mondes virtuels : Construction identitaire et expérience de consommation dans Second Life

Using virtual worlds, this paper examines the link that exists between individuals and their avatars in terms of identity. The outcomes of the study suggest that virtual worlds and the social and business interactions they offer are tools to build consumer identity. An exploratory qualitative technique was employed, using instant messaging with 34 immersive interviews in the Second Life virtual world. During his passage from the real to the virtual world, the individual must build another identity and operate a transfer, partial or total, from his real identity to the virtual one. The aim of the study is to offer an initial framework in order to understand this transition and its result in terms of identity positioning. Four types of identity positioning are identified : duplication, improvement, transformation and metamorphosis.