Avatar/Gaming/Embodiment Scale Study (AVES), 584 participants aged 18 to 29 years, United States and Germany

We designed and conducted a large-scale survey study aimed at investigating users' experiences of embodiment and avatar interaction within games and immersive virtual environments. The questionnaire design was informed by findings from focus group discussion. The survey instrument—referred to as the AVES Scale (Avatar/Gaming/Embodiment)—was developed using a mixed-methods approach that combined two main sources: (1) established, psychometrically validated instruments, and (2) insights from focus group discussions with Gen Z participants. <br><br><b>Constructs &amp; Items</b><br>Technology Usage: 5 Likert-scale Avatar Appearance &amp; Individualization: 13 Likert-scale, 1 optional freetext Avatar Emotional Connection: 6 Likert-scaleSensory Feedback: 4 Likert-scaleImmersive Impact: 7 Likert-scale, 1 optional freetext <b>Population<br></b>Eligible participants were young adults aged 18 to 29 years—a demographic particularly relevant for studying gaming and immersive virtual environments. Participants were required to have either a German or U.S. cultural background and were recruited through institutional channels at UC Berkeley, San Francisco State University, and Offenburg University. The final sample included 584 participants, comprising 290 participants from Germany and 292 from the United States. <br><br>This substantial sample size provided a robust empirical basis for the subsequent analyses. The average age was 22.64 years (SD = 2.98) for German participants and 21.36 years (SD = 2.43) for U.S. participants. In terms of gender, the overall sample consisted of 298 female participants (51.0%), 265 male participants (45.4%), and 19 participants identifying as diverse (3.3%). In the German cohort, 110 participants (37.9%) were female, 170 (58.6%) were male, and 10 (3.4%) identified as diverse. In the U.S. cohort, 188 participants (64.4%) were female, 95 (32.5%) were male, and 9 (3.1%) identified as diverse.<br>