Cultural and Visual Determinants of Avatar-Based Impression: A Cross-National Study on Relaxing, Trustworthiness, and Emergency Suitability

Abstract: As AI-generated avatars become more common in public communication, understanding how facial features shape impressions across cultures is crucial. This study investigated how geometric facial traits influence perceived trustworthiness, relaxing impression, and emergency suitability among Japanese and Chinese participants. A total of 288 participants evaluated 24 AI-generated faces selected through Principal Component Analysis based on eye and mouth-related features. Eye-related features acted as universal predictors, whereas smile-related features varied culturally. These findings highlight the need for culturally adaptive avatar design, especially in high-stakes contexts such as emergency communication.

Keywords: AI-generated avatars, Facial impression formation, Cross-cultural perception, Trust and emergency communication, Principal Component Analysis

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1006825

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