The Personality Structure in the AI Era: Development of a Reality-Virtual Personality Inventory

Han Lyu; Yiqiong Mei; Yunru Pan; Bonan Wang; Jiaqi Xiao; Maisha Yao

doi:10.63313/AJET.9068

Authors

Han Lyu Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author
Yiqiong Mei Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author
Yunru Pan Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author
Bonan Wang Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author
Jiaqi Xiao Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author
Maisha Yao Faculty of Science and Technology, Beijing Normal-Hong Kong Baptist University, Zhuhai 519087, China Author

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.63313/AJET.9068

Keywords:

Virtual Personality, Big Five Personality, Chinese Cyberspace, Scale Development, Psychometric Properties, Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract

The rapid expansion of digitization has given rise to a "virtual personality," distinct from one's "real-life personality". Even though the prevalence of 'virtual' life was rising, measurement tools for 'virtual personalities' specific to the Chinese cultural context were scarce. This study will develop a Virtual Personality Questionnaire (VPQ-Chinese version) based on the Big Five framework and behavioral features associated with virtual environments and assess the psychometric properties of the VPQ-Chinese version. To do this, the researchers utilized a sample of 547 Chinese participants (aged 18-63) with the following sample sizes: item analysis of 273 participants, exploratory factor analysis (EFA; n = 273), and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA; n = 274). Exploratory Factor Analysis extracted from a five-factor model (52.27% cumulative variance) Extraversion; Cooperative Agreeableness; Intellectual Openness; Emotional Stability; Orderly Conscientiousness. CFA results indicate an acceptable fit (χ² = 1093.854, df = 550, CFI = 0.877, TLI = 0.866, RMSEA = 0.060, SRMR = 0.076) for the five subscales, all displaying good internal consistency (0.834 ≤ α ≤ 0.928) and composite reliability (0.831 ≤ CR ≤ 0.892). Significant correlations to "real-life" Big Five constructs support the criterion-related validity of these five dimensions (i.e., virtual Intellectual Openness and real-life Openness, r = .745, p < .001). The VPQ provides a culturally relevant measure for assessing virtual personality in Chinese cyberspace with potential applications for human-computer interaction, predicting online behavior, and assessing digital mental health.

References

[1] X. Lin, W. Su, and M. N. Potenza, “Development of an online and offline integration hypothesis for healthy internet use: Theory and preliminary evidence,” Frontiers in Psychology, vol. 9, p. 492, 2018.

[2] A. Castro Solano and G. de la Iglesia, “Is there a virtual personality? A psychological informed exploratory study of personality traits in virtual environments in Spanish‑speaking population,” Personality Science, vol. 124, no. 3, pp. 1070–1092, 2025.

[3] H. R. Markus and S. Kitayama, “Culture and the self: Implications for cognition, emotion, and motivation,” Psychological Review, vol. 98, no. 2, pp. 224–253, 1991.

[4] A. Günlü and A. U. Baş, “The mediating role of well‑being in the relationship between personality traits and internet addiction,” ADDICTA: The Turkish Journal on Addictions, vol. 9, no. 1, p. 31+, 2022.

[5] B. Zhang et al., “The Big Five Inventory‑2 in China: A comprehensive psychometric evaluation in four diverse samples,” Assessment, vol. 29, no. 6, pp. 1262–1284, 2022.

[6] W. Fleeson, “Toward a structure‑ and process‑integrated view of personality: Traits as density distributions of states,” Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, vol. 80, no. 6, pp. 1011–1027, 2001.