Abstract: The article presents a review of research on the Proteus effect, understood as changes in users’ self-perception and behavior under the influence of their avatars’ appearance. The relevance of this topic is associated with the expanding use of avatars in virtual reality, video games, social platforms, and digitally mediated psychological interaction. Avatars increasingly function not only as technical representations of users but also as means of bodily, social, and personal self-presentation. Their characteristics may influence body perception, perceived abilities, emotional responses, empathy, communication, gaming motivation, and behavior in virtual environments. Systematizing the accumulated evidence is necessary to clarify the boundaries, conditions, mechanisms, and practical potential of the Proteus effect. The aims to systematize international research on the Proteus effect and identify its main domains, conditions, and mechanisms. The review is based on a theoretical and comparative analysis of 65 international and Russian empirical studies, reviews, and meta-analyses. The main domains include bodily self-perception, cognitive changes and self-concept, empathy and emotion regulation, social behavior, gaming involvement, and gaming disorder. The influence of an avatar depends not only on its visual and semantic characteristics but also on immersion, embodiment, identification with the digital representation, personalization, active interaction, and the user–avatar bond. The effect may involve changes in bodily sensations, perceived abilities, emotional reactions, empathy, communicative activity, and gaming motivation. Alongside constructive outcomes, the literature indicates risks of reinforcing stereotypical behavior and problematic gaming involvement. Russian-language studies of the virtual self, virtual identity, and the digital body are considered as a related theoretical context. The Proteus effect is a multidimensional form of avatar-mediated influence whose strength depends on the integration of the digital representation into the user’s self-perception. Further research should clarify its mechanisms, temporal stability, transfer to everyday behavior, and reliable assessment methods.

Keywords: the Proteus effect, avatar, Identification, embodiment, behavior, self-perception, virtual reality, empathy, deindividuation, immersive virtual reality

Abstract: The object of the study is the quality of life and psycho-emotional state of the patient. The subject of the study comprises the specific characteristics of indicators defining the quality of life of cardiology inpatients, focusing on the patient’s subjective perceptions regarding the illness, physical activity, pain intensity, emotional and social functioning, vitality, and mental health. The study also examines the interrelationships among quality-of-life indicators and their connection to the patient's psycho-emotional state (anxiety, depression, mood, activity level, and general well-being). The aim of the study is to assess the quality of life of hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases, to identify and evaluate the interrelationships among quality-of-life indicators, and to assess how these indicators depend on anxiety, depression, and general well-being. Thirty patients with cardiovascular diseases, hospitalized in the cardiology department of City Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Chelyabinsk, were examined. Patients completed the SF-36 questionnaire, the Spielberger-Hanin Anxiety Scale, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the SAN (Mood-Activity-Well-being) questionnaire. Spearman's rank correlation coefficient and Student's t-test were calculated. The scientific novelty of this study lies in the expansion of psychological knowledge regarding the quality of life and psycho-emotional disturbances of hospitalized patients with cardiovascular diseases. The study’s main conclusions are as follows: the quality of life of cardiac patients is rated as poor and is largely determined by their psycho-emotional status. Only about half of the patients surveyed consider their physical, mental, and social activity levels to be adequate. A positive correlation was found between quality-of-life indicators and measures of general well-being, activity levels, and mood. Physical health and psycho-emotional well-being are closely linked, highlighting the need for interventions aimed at improving both the physical and psychological condition of patients. Given the prevalence of anxiety and depression among cardiac patients, there is a need for measures focused on psychological correction and prevention, enhancing their adaptation to the role of a patient with a chronic, incurable illness, and improving their quality of life.

Keywords: quality of life, depression, anxiety, psycho-emotional state, cardiac patients, cardiovascular diseases, patient, psychological correction, psychological prevention, psychological health