Who Wants to (Digitally) Live Forever? The Connections That Narcissism Has with Motives for Digital Immortality and the Desire for Digital Avatars
Abstract
:1. Introduction
1.1. The Development of Digital Avatars
1.2. Narcissism and the Desire for Digital Immortality
1.3. Overview and Predictions
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Participants and Procedure
2.2. Measures
2.3. Data Analysis
3. Results
3.1. Desire for a Digital Avatar of Self
3.2. Desire for a Digital Avatar of Others
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
References
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1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. Extraverted Narcissism | — | ||||||||||
2. Antagonistic Narcissism | 0.38 *** | — | |||||||||
3. Neurotic Narcissism | −0.15 *** | −0.04 | — | ||||||||
4. Communal Narcissism | 0.48 *** | 0.28 *** | −0.18 *** | — | |||||||
5. Fear of Death for Self | 0.06 * | 0.13 *** | 0.19 *** | 0.15 *** | — | ||||||
6. Fear of Death for Others | 0.09 ** | 0.17 *** | 0.25 *** | 0.13 *** | 0.33 *** | — | |||||
7. Motivation for Eternal Life | 0.07 * | 0.21 *** | −0.03 | 0.24 *** | 0.33 *** | 0.13 *** | — | ||||
8. Motivation for Legacy | 0.25 *** | 0.14 *** | −0.01 | 0.29 *** | 0.29 *** | 0.11 *** | 0.41 *** | — | |||
9. Motivation to Be There for Others | 0.17 *** | 0.10 ** | 0.02 | 0.23 *** | 0.24 *** | 0.10 *** | 0.44 *** | 0.63 *** | — | ||
10. Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.10 ** | 0.15 *** | −0.05 | 0.22 *** | 0.23 *** | 0.12 *** | 0.65 *** | 0.43 *** | 0.55 *** | — | |
11. Desire for Avatars of Others | 0.08 * | 0.13 *** | 0.01 | 0.20 *** | 0.27 *** | 0.17 *** | 0.58 *** | 0.40 *** | 0.55 *** | 0.79 *** | — |
Mean | 3.38 | 2.42 | 3.12 | 4.00 | 2.88 | 4.04 | 2.54 | 4.33 | 4.28 | 2.94 | 3.13 |
Standard Deviation | 0.57 | 0.49 | 0.70 | 1.05 | 1.05 | 0.60 | 2.04 | 2.17 | 2.22 | 2.19 | 2.30 |
Extraverted Narcissism | Antagonistic Narcissism | Neurotic Narcissism | Communal Narcissism | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Associations with Primary Mediators | ||||
Narcissism → Fear of Death for Self (FDS) | 0.06 * | 0.13 *** | 0.19 *** | 0.15 *** |
Narcissism → Fear of Death for Others (FDO) | 0.09 ** | 0.17 *** | 0.25 *** | 0.12 *** |
Associations with Secondary Mediators | ||||
Narcissism → Motivation for Eternal Life (MEL) | 0.05 | 0.17 *** | −0.11 *** | 0.19 *** |
FDS → MEL | 0.32 *** | 0.31 *** | 0.34 *** | 0.30 *** |
FDO → MEL | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
Narcissism → Motivation for Legacy (ML) | 0.23 *** | 0.11 *** | −0.07 * | 0.25 *** |
FDS → ML | 0.28 *** | 0.28 *** | 0.30 *** | 0.26 *** |
FDO → ML | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
Narcissism → Motivation to Be There for Others (MBTO) | 0.15 *** | 0.06 * | −0.04 | 0.19 *** |
FDS → MBTO | 0.22 *** | 0.22 *** | 0.23 *** | 0.20 *** |
FDO → MBTO | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
Associations with Outcomes | ||||
Narcissism → Desire for Avatar of Self (Total) | 0.10 ** | 0.15 *** | −0.05 | 0.22 *** |
Narcissism → Desire for Avatar of Self (Direct) | 0.00 | 0.01 | −0.04 | 0.02 |
FDS → Desire for Avatar of Self | −0.02 | −0.02 | −0.02 | −0.02 |
Narcissism → FDS → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
FDO → Desire for Avatar for Self | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.03 | 0.02 |
Narcissism → FDO → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
MEL → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.50 *** | 0.50 *** | 0.49 *** | 0.50 *** |
Narcissism → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.03 | 0.08 *** | −0.05 *** | 0.10 *** |
Narcissism → FDS → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.01 | 0.02 *** | 0.03 *** | 0.02 *** |
Narcissism → FDO → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
ML → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.04 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Narcissism → ML → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.01 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 |
Narcissism → FDS → ML → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Narcissism → FDO → ML → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.31 *** | 0.31 *** | 0.31 *** | 0.31 *** |
Narcissism → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.05 *** | 0.02 | −0.01 | 0.06 *** |
Narcissism → FDS → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 *** | 0.01 *** |
Narcissism → FDO → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Self | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Extraverted Narcissism | Antagonistic Narcissism | Neurotic Narcissism | Communal Narcissism | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Associations with Primary Mediators | ||||
Narcissism → Fear of Death for Self (FDS) | 0.06 * | 0.13 *** | 0.19 *** | 0.15 *** |
Narcissism → Fear of Death for Others (FDO) | 0.09 ** | 0.17 *** | 0.25 *** | 0.12 *** |
Associations with Secondary Mediators | ||||
Narcissism → Motivation for Eternal Life (MEL) | 0.05 | 0.17 *** | −0.11 *** | 0.19 *** |
FDS → MEL | 0.32 *** | 0.31 *** | 0.34 *** | 0.30 *** |
FDO → MEL | 0.02 | 0.00 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
Narcissism → Motivation for Legacy (ML) | 0.23 *** | 0.11 *** | −0.07 * | 0.25 *** |
FDS → ML | 0.28 *** | 0.28 *** | 0.30 *** | 0.26 *** |
FDO → ML | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.03 | 0.00 |
Narcissism → Motivation to Be There for Others (MBTO) | 0.15 *** | 0.06 * | −0.04 | 0.19 *** |
FDS → MBTO | 0.22 *** | 0.22 *** | 0.23 *** | 0.20 *** |
FDO → MBTO | 0.02 | 0.02 | 0.04 | 0.01 |
Associations with Outcomes | ||||
Narcissism → Desire for Avatar of Others (Total) | 0.08 ** | 0.13 *** | 0.01 | 0.20 *** |
Narcissism → Desire for Avatar of Others (Direct) | −0.02 | 0.00 | −0.01 | 0.01 |
FDS → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 | 0.03 |
Narcissism → FDS → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.01 | 0.00 |
FDO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.07 ** | 0.07 ** | 0.07 ** | 0.07 ** |
Narcissism → FDO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.01 | 0.01 | 0.02 ** | 0.01 |
MEL → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.41 *** | 0.41 *** | 0.41 *** | 0.41 *** |
Narcissism → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.02 | 0.07 *** | −0.04 *** | 0.08 *** |
Narcissism → FDS → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.01 | 0.02 *** | 0.03 *** | 0.02 *** |
Narcissism → FDO → MEL → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
ML → Desire for Avatar of Others | −0.02 | −0.02 | −0.02 | −0.02 |
Narcissism → ML → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | −0.01 |
Narcissism → FDS → ML → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
Narcissism → FDO → ML → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.36 *** | 0.36 *** | 0.36 *** | 0.36 *** |
Narcissism → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.06 *** | 0.02 | −0.01 | 0.07 *** |
Narcissism → FDS → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.01 | 0.01 *** | 0.02 *** | 0.01 *** |
Narcissism → FDO → MBTO → Desire for Avatar of Others | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 0.00 |
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Besser, A.; Morse, T.; Zeigler-Hill, V. Who Wants to (Digitally) Live Forever? The Connections That Narcissism Has with Motives for Digital Immortality and the Desire for Digital Avatars. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health 2023, 20, 6632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176632
Besser A, Morse T, Zeigler-Hill V. Who Wants to (Digitally) Live Forever? The Connections That Narcissism Has with Motives for Digital Immortality and the Desire for Digital Avatars. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 2023; 20(17):6632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176632
Chicago/Turabian StyleBesser, Avi, Tal Morse, and Virgil Zeigler-Hill. 2023. "Who Wants to (Digitally) Live Forever? The Connections That Narcissism Has with Motives for Digital Immortality and the Desire for Digital Avatars" International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 20, no. 17: 6632. https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph20176632