Development of Human-agent Attachment by Form of Address

Abstract

Having an attachment is important to promote the utilization of electronic devices. To induce an emotional bond between people and voice interface, several companies have often named the voice interface. The present study examined whether a form of address (i.e., a way of calling a name of a voice agent or consumer) would modulate creating an attachment. Results showed that consumers reported a stronger attachment with voice agents that fit with the master-servant relationship based on the way of calling the name. Interestingly, this tendency was confirmed only for the behavioral index, but not for the subjective reports, suggesting that the form of address would implicitly affect the selection of behavior. Also, our findings indicate that increasing the emotional bond between consumers and voice agents could be modulated by the perception of the power balance during a human-agent interaction.