Anthropomorphic Design Research Articles

Anthropomorphic Design in Mortality Salience Situations: Exploring Emotional and Non-Emotional Mechanisms Enhancing Consumer Purchase Intentions

This study investigates the role of anthropomorphic design in alleviating consumer anxiety induced by mortality salience and delves into the underlying emotional and non-emotional mechanisms. Through a series of meticulously designed experiments, we confirm that anthropomorphic design significantly enhances positive emotional responses in consumers, reduces negative emotions, and thereby increases their preference and willingness to purchase products. Even after the diminution of emotional reactions, anthropomorphic design continues to sustain consumer preference by enhancing psychological intimacy. These findings reveal the crucial role of anthropomorphic design as an effective emotional regulation strategy in consumer purchasing behavior, enriching the application of terror management theory and emotion regulation theory in consumer behavior research. Furthermore, our study provides valuable practical guidance for product design and marketing strategies, especially for consumer groups frequently facing high-pressure situations. Products with anthropomorphic designs may be more appealing to these consumers, helping to mitigate their death anxiety and enhance psychological well-being.

Examining the interplay of chatbot interactivity and anthropomorphic design for enhancing brand relationships in service businesses

The current research examines how elements of chatbot design influence not only consumers’ perceptions and responses but also the processes by which they promote online-to-offline behavioral intention toward service brands. Focusing on the coffee service business, a study following a 2 × 2 between-subjects experimental design was conducted. Among the findings, the impact of interactivity on chatbot- and brand-related outcomes depended on the anthropomorphic conversational style employed; interactions with the warm, high-interactivity (vs. low-interactivity) chatbot enhanced the sense of social presence, whereas interactions with the competent, low-interactivity (vs. high-interactivity) chatbot promoted brand-related behavioral intention. Moreover, as the moderated serial mediation model demonstrated, although increased social presence shaped components of brand relationship quality (i.e. brand partner quality and brand attachment), only brand partner quality bolstered the intention to patronize the brand. The significant moderated indirect effect suggests that a warm, highly interactive chatbot design can strengthen social presence and thereby improve brand partner quality and raise the likelihood of offline patronage. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are discussed.

Consumer acceptance of social robots in domestic settings: A human-robot interaction perspective

Consumer acceptance of social robots in retail and service settings is an emerging field in marketing research. Social Home Robots (e.g., Jibo, Cozmo, and Kuri) serving various groups in domestic settings show significant retail and consumer service potential. However, most current research focuses on social robots that serve older or disabled individuals in domestic settings, leaving a gap in understanding consumer acceptance of Social Home Robots, particularly across different cultures. From the Human-Robot Interaction perspective, this article examines consumers' intentions to use Social Home Robots through a sequential mixed-method approach. Our findings indicate that consumers' intentions to use these robots are primarily influenced by key factors in Human-Robot Interaction: belief in social robot benefits, concern about privacy risks, trust, the robots' overall anthropomorphic design, and consumers' self-construal tendency. Furthermore, trust mediates the relationships between belief in social support, privacy concerns, independent self-construal, and usage intention. This study explores consumer acceptance of social robots serving diverse groups rather than special groups in domestic settings, contributing to the literature on social/service robots. It also offers business guidelines for designing and marketing Social Home Robots in retail.

So hard to say goodbye? A study on the impact of anthropomorphism on the retention of idle products

Through five studies, we examined how anthropomorphic design influences consumer retention of idle products during the post-purchase disposal phase. We also explored the psychological dynamics underpinning this effect and assessed how different types of message appeal—altruistic versus egoistic—modulate these dynamics. Our findings demonstrate that consumers are more likely to retain idle products with anthropomorphic designs compared to their non-anthropomorphic counterparts, owing to the anticipated guilt associated with the disposal of products with human-like qualities. This guilt-driven retention is mitigated by altruistic message appeals but remains intact under egoistic appeals, which provides an idea for alleviating the negative impact of product anthropomorphism.

Design of TCP-actuator-driven, soft-tendon-integrated anthropomorphic dexterous hand: SoroAgilHand-1

This paper presents the design, analysis, and development of a dexterous hand driven by TCP actuators, termed the SoroAgilHand-1. Using the elastic stress of the TCP array with the measured Young's modulus, a mapping model of the tendon-contracted length to the joint angle of the dexterous hand was developed and validated by the recorded trajectory of the thumb-index finger. We introduced a self-sensing model for the TCP array in the SoroAgilHand-1 system and established an integrated closed-loop control system using the tensile sensors and strain-measuring devices. Considering the Kapandji test and the Feix taxonomy, the grasping performance of SoroAgilHand-1 was evaluated using postures from the collected data. The experimental results show that the soft dexterous hand can achieve 33 grasping postures and pass the Kapandji test, implying that it fulfils the anthropomorphic design goal using TCP actuators. Moreover, based on the grabbing stability test from the Feix taxonomy, the finger-tip trajectory of the closed-loop controller for the driven TCP was significantly improved and exhibited greater stability than that in open-loop driving.

Analyze the Impact, Reasons, and Optimization Strategies of the Image of AI Anchors on Consumer Purchase Intention in Live Streaming E-commerce

The importance of live streaming e-commerce in online shopping is increasing with the continuous development of live streaming technology. Artificial intelligence (AI), as a disruptive force, has introduced virtual anchors in the live streaming field, replacing live anchors for product introduction and interaction. The virtual anchor image, with its anthropomorphic appearance, interacts with the audience in real-time and is gradually being applied in various fields such as e-commerce, advertising, and social platforms. This study reviews how the image of AI anchors in live streaming e-commerce affects consumer trust and personalized experience, and further explores its impact on consumer purchase intention. Research has found that virtual anchor images can be divided into human and animal images based on their appearance, and different images have different impacts on consumer purchasing intentions. Humanized virtual anchors establish trust relationships and stimulate purchase intentions through rich expressions and actions; Personalized and customized design enhances the attractiveness and sense of identity of virtual anchors. Finally, regarding the application of enterprises in the field of virtual anchors, this article proposes anthropomorphic design, personalized image, and cultural adaptability strategies to improve the commercial efficiency and brand image of virtual anchors.

Different dimensions of anthropomorphic design cues: How visual appearance and conversational style influence users’ information disclosure tendency towards chatbots

Text-based chatbots are widely used to deliver personalized services by leveraging user-provided information, and anthropomorphic design is crucial for their effectiveness. However, most earlier studies investigated the effects of anthropomorphic design of chatbots while manipulating only one dimension of anthropomorphic cues. The current research investigated how different dimensions of anthropomorphic design cues affect users’ information disclosure tendency towards chatbots. That is, the present study examined the effects of visual appearance (high anthropomorphism vs. low anthropomorphism), manipulating the visual cues dimension, and conversational style (human-like vs. mechanical), manipulating the verbal cues dimension, on users’ information disclosure tendency towards chatbots. Results showed positive effects of human-like conversational style on users’ information disclosure tendency. Of particular significance, an interaction effect between visual appearance and conversational style on users’ information disclosure tendency was found. Users reported a higher information disclosure tendency when the chatbot was designed with anthropomorphic cues consistent over dimensions. This finding suggested that an expectancy violation effect occurs when a chatbot exhibits inconsistent anthropomorphic design cues on two different dimensions. Besides, perceived security was identified as a positive mediating factor in the relationship between conversational style and users’ information disclosure tendency. This study advances research on users’ information disclosure tendency towards anthropomorphic chatbots and highlights the importance of different dimensions of anthropomorphic cues in chatbot design. Additionally, practical guidance for chatbot designers was also provided.

Impact of Anthropomorphic Design on User Sentiment and Sustained Use Intention towards Household Healthcare

Although the household healthcare system is one of the cutting-edge application areas of anthropomorphic design, it remains to be further explored whether anthropomorphism is always effective. This article focuses on the context of aging-friendly household healthcare services and explores how anthropomorphic design affects users’ sustained use intention through sentiment feedback mechanisms. With the help of questionnaire surveys, 511 valid samples were randomly collected for empirical analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed that positive interactions, cultural backgrounds, and appearance could enhance users’ perception of anthropomorphism from large to small. In addition, the positive (negative) sentiment of users plays a positive (negative) full mediating role in the relationship between anthropomorphic design and sustained use intention, and user technology anxiety moderates such relationships. That is, compared to low-level technology anxiety, in high-level states, anthropomorphic design for household healthcare systems and products has a weaker (stronger) positive (negative) effect on sustained use intention through positive (negative) emotions.

Effect of anthropomorphic design and hierarchical status on balancing self-serving bias: Accounting for education, ethnicity, and experience

To address the issue of self-serving attributional bias linked to automation technology and artificial intelligence (AI), this study recruited a gender-balanced sample to investigate the positive effects of perceived anthropomorphism and hierarchical status of computer systems on users’ self-accountability and use intention. The specific research context was intelligent vehicles, a common form of automation and AI. Findings showed that anthropomorphism can significantly boost user self-accountability for both successes and failures, while hierarchical status primarily affected accountability for failures. Besides, the positive effects of anthropomorphism on self-accountability and use intention were mediated by cognitive empowerment and social rewards, respectively. This study also found that educational background amplified the impact of anthropomorphism, whereas ethnic differences moderated the effects of hierarchical status on self-accountability. Furthermore, incident experiences were found to positively moderate the relationship between hierarchical status and use intention, which indicates the need for more safety-focused strategies for human-computer interaction (HCI). In general, this study presented a promising strategy for academia and industry in designing human-like interactions to balance self-serving bias and foster self-accountability, which can potentially result in more inclusive and effective HCI experiences.

Virtually human: anthropomorphism in virtual influencer marketing

Virtual influencers (VIs), digitally created characters with a significant presence on social media, are progressively engaged to promote products and brands. Understanding the impact of these influencers' anthropomorphic design is crucial to their marketing effectiveness. Drawing from anthropomorphism literature, this research evaluates the effect of four types of anthropomorphism—namely, appearance, moral virtue, cognitive experience, and conscious emotionality—on followers' perceptions of VI credibility and parasocial relationships, as well as their purchase intention. The results of a survey reveal that anthropomorphism in moral virtue and cognitive experience has a positive effect on both credibility and parasocial relationships, while anthropomorphism in appearance has a positive effect only on parasocial relationships. Anthropomorphism in conscious emotionality has no significant effect. Both credibility and parasocial relationships have a positive effect on purchase intention, with the impact of parasocial relationships being stronger. Influencer–product congruence positively moderates the impact of credibility on purchase intention. The study advances the understanding of VI marketing and underscores the importance of considering the different aspects of anthropomorphism and their impacts on followers’ perceptions and behavior. The findings inform business strategy and decision-making in developing and promoting VI marketing campaigns.

Enhancing corporate brands through service robots: The impact of anthropomorphic design metaphors on corporate brand perceptions

AbstractThe increasing introduction of intelligent, interactive robots in the service industry raises concerns about the potential dehumanization of service provision and its influences on corporate brand perceptions. To avoid adverse effects, new service development (NSD) managers seemingly favor service robots that feature anthropomorphic design metaphors, so they appear more human‐like. The current research investigates explicitly how customers' perception of a robot's anthropomorphic design metaphors might spill over to affect corporate brand perceptions. Study 1, a picture‐based scenario study with 109 participants, reveals the impact of anthropomorphic design metaphors on untested corporate brand outcomes, such as brand trust and brand experience. Then Study 2, a video‐based scenario study with 530 participants, addresses whether these effects depend on the service context. In Study 3, a field study of 393 participants, the authors examine how anthropomorphic design metaphors influence other firm‐related outcomes (e.g., shopping enjoyment, sales). The combined results confirm that anthropomorphic design metaphors strongly affect brand trust and brand experience, as well as other critical firm‐related outcomes; they also reveal notable context effects, such that customers of people‐processing (e.g., care services) and mental‐stimulus‐processing (e.g., shopping assistance) services appear more likely to use anthropomorphic design metaphors as corporate brand cues. Our research encourages NSD managers and scholars to consider the effects of introducing anthropomorphic service robots on corporate brands.

Exploring the Role of Sociability, Ownership, and Affinity for Technology in Shaping Acceptance and Intention to Use Personal Assistance Robots.

Personal assistance robots are making inroads into our private and public life. At the same time, most humans are still unfamiliar with this technology and hesitate to accept and use it for daily tasks. Fortunately, the designs of robots can be adjusted to yield greater acceptance, subsequently enabling their utilization across various tasks. Using a scenario-based online experiment, we explored how sociability (low vs. high), ownership (private vs. public), and affinity for technology influence the acceptance and intention to use a robot for grocery shopping. Moreover, to assess users’ preference for robots’ morphology, participants were asked to choose a robot (technical vs. anthropomorphic design) that they would prefer to use in a supermarket. We found that low sociability of the service robot and a higher affective affinity for technology led to a higher level of acceptance. For more sociable robots, higher levels of anthropomorphism were preferred. Our results point to the importance of task-specific robot design that exceeds functional considerations.

Anthropomorphic design and control of a polycentric knee exoskeleton for improved lower limb assistance

Anthropomorphic design and control of a polycentric knee exoskeleton for improved lower limb assistance

Effects of anthropomorphic design on comprehension of self-monitoring test results: Integrating evidence of eye-tracking and event-related potential

ObjectiveTo investigate the effects of anthropomorphism design on individuals’ comprehension of self-monitoring test results. In addition, we employed eye-tracking and event-related potential techniques to explore the underlying mechanisms. Materials and MethodsA within-group design was employed with presentation format (black-and-white neutral design, black-and-white anthropomorphic design, and colored anthropomorphic design) as independent variable. A total of 30 graduate students participated in an experiment in which they were instructed to perform a series of health data interpretation tasks. ResultsColored anthropomorphism yielded significantly shorter task completion time, shorter fixation duration, fewer fixations, and smaller pupil size than the other two presentation formats. Moreover, black-and-white anthropomorphism design elicited increased N1 amplitudes in frontal area compared with the other two designs; colored anthropomorphic design evoked larger amplitude of P3 than the other two designs. ConclusionsColored anthropomorphic design is found to be an effective approach in facilitating consumers’ understanding of quantitative health information. Moreover, the present study demonstrated the feasibility of using eye-tracking and neuroergonomics tools in evaluating interface design in a healthcare setting.

How service robots’ human-like appearance impacts consumer trust: a study across diverse cultures and service settings

PurposeThis study aims to compares the effects of different human-like appearances (low vs. medium vs. high) of service robots (SRs) on consumer trust in service robots (CTSR), examines the mediating role of perceived warmth (WA) and perceived competence (CO) and demonstrates the moderating role of culture and service setting.Design/methodology/approachThe research design includes three scenario-based experiments (Chinese hotel setting, American hotel setting, Chinese hospital setting).FindingsStudy 1 found SR’s human-like appearance can arouse perceived anthropomorphism (PA), which positively affects CTSR through parallel mediators (WA and CO). Study 2 revealed consumers from Chinese (vs. American) culture had higher CTSR. Study 3 showed consumers had higher WA and CO for SRs in the credence (vs. experience) service setting. The authors also had an exploratory analysis of the uncanny valley phenomenon.Practical implicationsThe findings have practical implications for promoting the diffusion of SRs in the hospitality industry. Managers can increase CTSR by augmenting the anthropomorphic design of SRs; however, they must consider the differences in this effect across all service recipients (consumers from different cultures) and service settings.Originality/valueThe authors introduce WA and CO as mediators between PA and CTSR and set the culture and service setting as moderators.

Estimating the Impact of “Humanizing” AI Assistants

More and more product designers are adopting anthropomorphic design strategies to facilitate the widespread use of AI assistants. However, existing studies show that the ideal boundary of the degree of anthropomorphism is still unclear. Therefore, we design two scenario experimental studies to explore the influence of different degrees of anthropomorphism on human–AI interaction quality. We also consider the difference in impact between two usage contexts: the hedonic and utilitarian contexts. The results show that different degrees of anthropomorphism significantly affect human–AI interaction quality in different ways; when AI assistants have a medium-level degree of anthropomorphism, the positive effect is pronounced. Furthermore, the positive relationship between anthropomorphism and human–AI interaction quality is more robust in the hedonic usage context; this positive effect disappears in the utilitarian usage context. We expect this study to provide practical guidance for AI product designers to achieve their products’ long-term feasibility and sustainability.

Anthropomorphic Design and Self-Reported Behavioral Trust: The Case of a Virtual Assistant in a Highly Automated Car

The latest advances in car automation present new challenges in vehicle–driver interactions. Indeed, acceptance and adoption of high levels of automation (when full control of the driving task is given to the automated system) are conditioned by human factors such as user trust. In this work, we study the impact of anthropomorphic design on user trust in the context of a highly automated car. A virtual assistant was designed using two levels of anthropomorphic design: “voice-only” and “voice with visual appearance”. The visual appearance was a three-dimensional model, integrated as a hologram in the cockpit of a driving simulator. In a driving simulator study, we compared the three interfaces: two versions of the virtual assistant interface and the baseline interface with no anthropomorphic attributes. We measured trust versus perceived anthropomorphism. We also studied the evolution of trust throughout a range of driving scenarios. We finally analyzed participants’ reaction time to takeover request events. We found a significant correlation between perceived anthropomorphism and trust. However, the three interfaces tested did not significantly differentiate in terms of perceived anthropomorphism while trust converged over time across all our measurements. Finally, we found that the anthropomorphic assistant positively impacts reaction time for one takeover request scenario. We discuss methodological issues and implication for design and further research.

Examining the Effect of Anthropomorphic Design Cues on Healthcare Chatbots Acceptance and Organization-Public Relationships: Trust in a Warm Human Vs. a Competent Machine

AI-powered healthcare chatbots demonstrate great promise in enhancing communication and fostering stronger relationships between healthcare organizations and their publics. This study conducted an experiment to examine how different anthropomorphic design cues shape chatbot acceptance and organization-public relationships by influencing trust in the chatbot. Results revealed an interesting dynamic: when users interacted with healthcare chatbot featuring human-like cues, they tend to place greater trust in the chatbot that showed warmth rather than competence. Conversely, in interactions with a chatbot embodying machine-like cues, a competent conversation style generated higher levels of trust compared to a warm style. This trust in human-computer interactions further enhanced users’ intentions to continue using the chatbot and follow its recommendations, alongside bolstering relational trust and satisfaction with the healthcare organization. These findings contribute to the theoretical understanding of human-chatbot interaction and offer practical insights by aligning chatbot design nuances with the broader strategic health communication goals.

The Role of Generative AI and Anthropomorphism in Shaping Conversational Marketing: Creating a Matrix for Future Research

This research studies the interconnected relationship between Generative Artificial Intelligence and Anthropomorphism in the context of Conversational Marketing. The research highlights the transformative potential of Generative AI and the critical role of anthropomorphism in augmenting user experiences by tracing the evolution of Conversational Marketing in recent years. The paper introduces a novel matrix that highlights the impact of varying degrees of Generative AI and Anthropomorphism on Conversational Marketing outcomes. This matrix serves as an invaluable tool for both academics and industry professionals. It offers profound insights into potential synergies, as well as the challenges that arise from integrating different AI sophistication levels with varying degrees of anthropomorphic designs. The study emphasizes the importance of reaching a balance between the two elements to ensure optimal customer engagement and marketing strategy efficacy. Practical examples from each quadrant of the matrix reveal the real-world implications further, providing a comprehensive understanding of future research directions.

How can ‘I’ make you empathize? Research on the influence of anthropomorphic design on against food waste

How can ‘I’ make you empathize? Research on the influence of anthropomorphic design on against food waste