Androgynous Online Avatars Are Less Trusted

The New Scientist reports that people who use androgynous online avatars to represent themselves are less likely to be trusted than people who use avatars with a clearly-defined gender.

These are the findings of two researchers of the University of Connecticut in Storrs, who say that androgyny makes avatars appear less human, thus causing a breakdown in trust. People should consider this when selecting an avatar.