Cognitive Route Research Articles

Trusting Your AI Agent Emotionally and Cognitively: Development and Validation of a Semantic Differential Scale for AI Trust

Trust is not just a cognitive issue but also an emotional one, yet the research in human-AI interactions has primarily focused on the cognitive route of trust development. Recent work has highlighted the importance of studying affective trust towards AI, especially in the context of emerging human-like LLM-powered conversational agents. However, there is a lack of validated and generalizable measures for the two-dimensional construct of trust in AI agents. To address this gap, we developed and validated a set of 27-item semantic differential scales for affective and cognitive trust through a scenario-based survey study. We then further validated and applied the scale through an experiment study. Our empirical findings showed how the emotional and cognitive aspects of trust interact with each other and collectively shape a person's overall trust in AI agents. Our study methodology and findings also provide insights into the capability of the state-of-art LLMs to foster trust through different routes.

Workplace ostracism and counterproductive work behaviour: parallel mediation of felt accountability and emotional exhaustion

PurposeThe study aims to address the limited understanding on the role of cognitive mechanisms in workplace ostracism (WO) and negative workplace behaviours (such as counterproductive workplace behaviours (CWBs)) relation. Although the affective routes of this relationship have been extensively studied, the role of cognitive routes remains largely unexplored.Design/methodology/approachA parallel mediation model was developed to study the affective (emotional exhaustion) and the cognitive (felt accountability) mechanisms within the WO and CWBs relation. Regulatory focus theory was used to explain how these routes may influence CWB. Data for the study were gathered cross-sectionally, with common method bias checks. We analysed through Smart PLS for the measurement model and SPSS Hayes PROCESS macros for the structural model.FindingsStudy results corroborated the proposed model on the salience of the newly proposed cognitive pathway in relation to the affective route of the WO–CWB model.Originality/valueThis research underscores a novel cognitive pathway, felt accountability, in the WO–WB relation, expanding upon the predominantly affective-focused extant literature. Furthermore, the study outlines both theoretical and practical implications, along with highlighting limitations and potential directions for future inquiries.

How to Help Older Adults Navigate Through VR? Effects in Outdoor–Indoor Transition Environments

In more complex outdoor–indoor transition scenarios, people were more prone to getting lost due to difficulties in effectively integrating proprioceptive cues and external navigation cues. Previous research had mostly focused on spatial perception driven by head or limb movements, with less discussion on locomotion methods that involved significant visual discrepancies. The challenge in designing navigation systems lies in balancing the enhancement of wayfinding performance with the potential negative impact on spatial cognition. We believe that navigation legibility might be a key optimization approach. Additionally, the differences in performance between different age groups were also worth investigating. Therefore, this study aimed to explore how locomotion methods and navigation legibility affected wayfinding performance, navigation interaction, navigation regression, and spatial cognition in younger and older adults during outdoor–indoor transition scenarios. Twenty-four younger (aged 19–27) and 24 older adults (aged 60–83) underwent VR wayfinding tasks. Participants initially followed virtual phone navigation from outdoor starting points to indoor endpoints, then drew cognitive route maps. Five main findings emerged: Continuous teleportation positively affected navigation performance and global representation of routes. Improving navigation legibility boosted navigation interaction, navigation regression, and global representation of routes. Older adults engaged more in navigation interaction but less in navigation regression, exhibiting poorer performance and route representation. Location-specific differences were observed in locomotion, legibility, and age effects. Furthermore, most older adults and over half of younger adults displayed a deflection effect based on outdoor–indoor (OI) space in route representation. These findings indicated that continuous teleportation and enhanced navigation legibility could improve user experience and spatial cognition, highlighting the importance of considering user age and the characteristics of outdoor–indoor transition scenarios when optimizing navigation methods.

When chatbots make errors: Cognitive and affective pathways to understanding forgiveness of chatbot errors

This study aims to investigate whether individuals can forgive chatbots for their errors as they do for humans. Drawing on the contrasting theoretical frameworks of Computer are Social Actors (CASA) and machine heuristic in the Human-AI interaction (HAII), the study examines individuals’ forgiveness towards errors made by chatbots with different levels of anthropomorphism. Specifically, this study focuses on the affective and cognitive pathways in shaping individuals’ forgiveness towards chatbots. An online experiment (N = 580) with a two (anthropomorphism levels: low vs. high) × two (chatbot types: task-oriented vs. relationship-oriented) between-subjects design was conducted. Results indicated that compared to chatbots with low anthropomorphism, those with high anthropomorphism tend to elicit greater forgiveness for their errors. The effects of anthropomorphism on forgiveness to chatbot errors were mediated both through the affective route, by mitigating perceived severity and emotional aversion, and through the cognitive route, by attributing errors more to the users themselves. Our study also reveals the complex nature of forgiveness responses to chatbot errors, which are influenced by the specific context in which the chatbot is used. The theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Efecto de normas de persuasión en el servicio personal shopper

Some key disadvantages of online computer sales stem from unmet consumer expectations, insufficient product knowledge, and product returns. This study examined cognitive route factors and persuasive norms in online advertisements to determine the purchase intention of personal shopper services for laptops. Covariates included gender, educational level, marital status, prior shopping experiences, monthly income, and workplace location. The results approach indicate that peripheral route advertising messages positively impact the purchase intention of personal shopper services, especially among women. Findings also demonstrate that monthly income and educational level influence the purchase intention of laptops when aided by a personal shopper. It was found that women prefer personal shoppers providing clear responses, while men prefer those with technical knowledge. Additionally, women prefer to pay for the personal shopper service as 3% of the purchase value, whereas men favoured a single payment. Finally, the purchase intention for the personal shopper service is higher among women. The potential effects of advertising messages on the purchase intentionof the service are discussed.

Framing beneficiary photos to elicit donations in online medical crowdfunding: through the perspectives of sympathy and deliberation

PurposeBeneficiary photos on charity appeals are believed to engender prosocial behavior. This study explores photo framing of healthy and unhealthy beneficiary photos in the context of photo-rich online medical crowdfunding. Based on framing theory, emphasis framing effect (i.e. unhealthy photos only vs both healthy and unhealthy photos) and equivalency framing effect (i.e. healthy photos prior to unhealthy photos vs unhealthy photos prior to healthy photos) are identified.Design/methodology/approachA scenario-based experiment with 135 participants was used to empirically test the proposed research hypotheses. The subjects were randomly assigned to three treatment groups, with 45 subjects in each group. ANOVA, linear regression, and multiple mediation analysis were used to analysis data.FindingsThe results reveal that disclosing both healthy and unhealthy photos can elicit stronger sympathy and perceived need than merely disclosing unhealthy photos. Moreover, the order of unhealthy photos prior to healthy photos leads to a higher level of sympathy than the order of healthy photos prior to unhealthy photos. Furthermore, sympathy and perceived need are positively related to donation intention.Originality/valueFirst, this study extends the photo-related research limited to certain characteristics of a single photo to the sequence effect of multiple photos. Second, this study contributes to framing theory by introducing photo framing, particularly the equivalence and emphasis framing effect of beneficiary photos. Finally, this study reveals the emotional and cognitive routes through which beneficiary photos stimulate prosocial behavior. It also offers practical guidance in the aspects of the framing effect of beneficiary photos for crowdfunding management.

How supportive and challenging behaviors of leaders promote employees' thriving at work: An examination of underlying mechanisms

Although leadership is an important driver of employees' psychological well-being, questions remain as to how leaders' behaviors shape employees' thriving at work. The present study examines how individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation differently impact employees’ vitality and learning (thriving at work) via different affective and cognitive routes. Using a serial mediation model, we propose that leaders exhibiting individualized consideration and intellectual stimulation behaviors are perceived by employees as warm and competent. These perceptions foster employees' affective and cognitive trust in their leaders, subsequently promoting vitality and learning. To correspond with our proposed mediation model, we adopted a study design that involved four waves of data collected from Indian managerial employees. The results support the serial mediation model. Our study provides a precise understanding of the psychological processes that facilitate employee thriving. It also provides insights for practitioners seeking to understand why employees thrive and explore strategies to promote their well-being.

No evidence of association between autism spectrum quotient and spontaneous mental time travel in a general adult sample performing an online vigilance task

AbstractEvidence supports the dissociation of voluntary and spontaneous routes to past and future thinking, collectively referred to as mental time travel (MTT). If the diminished voluntary MTT ability found in autism spectrum disorders (ASD) is attributable to a deficit in constructive/generative processes not necessary for spontaneous MTT, ASD traits (Autism Spectrum Quotient score) in a general adult sample should not be related to total spontaneous thoughts, probability of past or future thoughts, or probability of specific thoughts during an undemanding vigilance task. Results supported this hypothesis: AQ was not associated with total spontaneous thoughts and did not significantly predict the other measures. This is the first study to explore spontaneous MTT in relation to ASD traits, further supporting the argument that voluntary MTT may be compromised in ASD due to reliance on constructive/generative processes and reinforcing the notion of dissociable cognitive routes to MTT.

How do hotel star ratings affect the relationship between environmental CSR and green word‐of‐mouth?

AbstractHotels have increasingly engaged in environmentally responsible initiatives to demonstrate their commitment to environmental concerns and sustainable hospitality and tourism. These initiatives are expected to become even more popular in the context that the COVID‐19 crisis has driven people to further acknowledge the importance of the ecosystem. This study aims to examine how hotels' environmental corporate social responsibility (CSR) affects customers' green word‐of‐mouth (WOM). Structural equation modeling was employed to analyze data from an online survey of 749 Chinese respondents. The findings reveal that hotels' environmental CSR indirectly enhances customers' green WOM intention via green perceived value (i.e., cognitive route) and green hotel pride (i.e., emotional route). Furthermore, the indirect effects of hotels' environmental CSR on customers' green WOM are more substantial for hotels with higher star ratings. These findings offer valuable insights for hoteliers to develop genuine environmentally responsible initiatives that can generate positive customer responses.

From Charitable Inference to Active Credence

Young children routinely display a naturalistic understanding of the world. When asked for explanations, they rarely invoke supernatural or religious explanations even when confronted by puzzling or unexpected phenomena. Nevertheless, depending on the surrounding culture, children are eventually prone to accept God as a creator, to believe in the power of prayer and to expect there to be an afterlife. A plausible interpretation of this dual stance is that children adopt two different cognitive routes to understanding: one grounded in empirical observation and in trusted testimony about the observable world. Based on this route, children gradually build up a common-sense understanding of various natural domains, including the physical, the biological and the psychological. The second route is grounded in children’s early emerging ability to engage in shared pretense. As members of a religious community, children will routinely observe community members engage in activities, such as prayer, which cannot be readily understood in terms of their standard, common-sense framework. Nevertheless, children can charitably interpret prayer as special form of communication, directed at an imagined interlocutor. Cumulative exposure to such belief-based activities is likely to encourage children to transition from charitable interpreters of religious activities to participant believers.

Aristotle’s Empiricism

<i>Aristotle’s Empiricism</i>

Affective and cognitive brain-networks are differently integrated in women and men while experiencing compassion.

Different theoretical models have proposed cognitive and affective components in empathy and moral judgments encompassing compassion. Furthermore, gender differences in psychological and neural functions involving empathic and moral processing, as well as compassionate experiences, have been reported. However, the neurobiological function regarding affective and cognitive integration underlying compassion and gender-associated differences has not been investigated. In this study, we aimed to examine the interaction between cognitive and emotional components through functional connectivity analyzes and to explore gender differences for the recruitment and interaction of these components. Thirty-six healthy participants (21–56 years; 21 women) were exposed to social images in an fMRI session to judge whether the stimuli elicited compassion. The results showed a different connectivity pattern for women and men of the insular cortex, the dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (dmPFC), the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC), and the cingulate cortex. The integration of affective and cognitive components follows a complex functional connectivity pattern that is different for both genders. These differences may indicate that men largely make compassionate judgments based on contextual information, while women tend to notably take internal and introspective processes into account. Women and men can use different affective and cognitive routes that could converge in similar learning of moral values, empathic experiences and compassionate acts.

A Tale of Two “Ideologies”: Differences in Consumer Response to Brand Activism

Political ideology has been shown to influence consumer behavior across various domains such as recycling intentions, message appeals, brand attachment, and willingness to pay. In the marketplace, brand activism is becoming more common, with brands taking sides on a controversial sociopolitical issue. In a series of three studies, we examine whether consumers’ brand attitudes and willingness to pay for the brand is influenced by brand activism and whether this effect is moderated by consumers’ political ideology. Furthermore, we examine whether the issue type (pro-liberal vs. pro-conservative) and type of activism (authentic, absent, slacktivism) interact with political ideology to drive distinct consumer brand response. Importantly, we establish both affective as well as cognitive routes as potential drivers of these effects. Theoretical and managerial implications of the findings are also discussed.

Being innovative, fun, and green? Hedonic and environmental motivations in the use of green innovations

ABSTRACT This paper seeks to determine the decision-making route relating to hedonic and environmental motivation in green innovation adoption and to show how two similar green innovations can motivate consumers differently. It also aims to determine the effect of domain-specific innovativeness (DSI) on emotions and green identity on environmental motivations. The paper focuses on two types of green transport innovations: shared e-bikes and e-scooters. Four models were tested using structural equation modelling based on survey data from 800 shared e-bike and e-scooter users. The results reveal that the decision to use shared e-bikes follows a cognitive route, while shared e-scooter use follows an affective route. Additionally, findings show that DSI significantly affects positive emotions in the use of both shared microvehicles. However, green identity only impacts the environmental motivations in shared e-bike use.

A Model of Johannine Ethics

Johannine ethics was a problematic topic for a long time and has only been an acceptable and fruitful area of research since 2012. To stimulate and guide future research, this article proposes a model of Johannine ethics that consists of five aspects: (1) Graeco-Roman virtue ethics is the broad ethical context for Johannine ethics; (2) family is the theological context for Johannine ethics; (3) mimesis is central to Johannine ethics; (4) moral reasoning is the cognitive route to ethics; (5) Spirit and community empower ethical living. The argument is that the Johannine writings present ethics as divine family education that has mimesis at its centre and is facilitated by moral reasoning and the Spirit as the moral force. An Appendix contains a list of publications on Johannine ethics between 2012 and 2022.

Cognitive and Affective Routes to the Adoption of Protective Behaviors Against Health Risks of PM2.5 in China

ABSTRACT The current research examines how risk appraisals of PM2.5 influence Chinese people’s behavioral intentions to adopt government-recommended protective behaviors through negative affect. In testing the appraisal-based protective behavior model, this research also takes institutional trust and media sensationalism into account. An online survey is conducted with participants (N = 1,569) randomly drawn from heavily polluted Chinese regions. As predicted, negative affect mediates the effects of perceived susceptibility and perceived severity on individuals’ intentions to take preventive measures against the PM2.5 risk. Institutional trust appears to increase people’s behavioral intentions. However, media sensationalism decreases people’s behavioral intentions.

Beyond anger: A neutralization perspective of customer revenge

Although previous studies have elucidated emotional and cognitive routes toward customer revenge, they have mainly paid attention to customers’ perceptions about service failures and vendors. Nevertheless, the mechanism underlying how customers justify their revenge behaviors has not been theorized or examined. To advance this line of research, our research draws on neutralization theory to interpret how customers rationalize their revenge behaviors. Furthermore, we distinguish the influences of emotional and rational paths on direct and indirect revenge behaviors across different failure contexts. Two studies were conducted to test our proposed hypotheses. The results demonstrate that dissatisfactory services facilitate customers’ revenge behaviors through the use of neutralization techniques. In addition, compared to neutralization techniques, anger has a more salient effect on direct revenge behaviors, while neutralization techniques dominate anger toward indirect revenge behaviors. Moreover, such differential impacts become more salient in process vs. outcome failures. Implications and directions for future research are discussed.

In Platforms We Trust?Unlocking the Black-Box of News Algorithms through Interpretable AI

ABSTRACT With the rapid increase in the use and implementation of AI in the journalism industry, the ethical issues of algorithmic journalism have grown rapidly and resulted in a large body of research that applied normative principles such as privacy, information disclosure, and data protection. Understanding how users’ information processing leads to information disclosure in platformized news contexts can be important questions to ask. We examine users’ cognitive routes leading to information disclosure by testing the effect of interpretability on privacy in algorithmic journalism. We discuss algorithmic information processing and show how the process can be utilized to improve user privacy and trust.

Organic food purchase decisions from a context-based behavioral reasoning approach

While the burgeoning development of organic foods has received great interest from academicians, the green gap has been posing challenges to the understanding of the inconsistency between consumers' actions and their positive intentions towards organic foods. The latest marketing literature has pointed to the potential of the cognitive and reasoning process taking into account context-specificity as the answer to the problem. Applying the novel Behavioral Reasoning Theory, this study sets out to bridge this gap by providing insights into the context-based reasoning process of Vietnamese consumers. PLS-SEM method was employed to test the proposed hypotheses between values, reasons, attitudes, behavioral intention, and actual purchase behavior among 300 consumers from two big cities (i.e., Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh) in Vietnam. The mediation analysis was conducted for reasons and attitudes. The model was also extended using trust and knowledge factors. Overall, the results suggested the strong cognitive routes originated from values onto reasons and attitudes, whereas attitudes and reasons (for and against) positively influenced purchase intentions. Additionally, the mediational effects of both reasons and attitudes were not established. Trust was found strengthening reasons for and attitudes while mitigating reasons against. Consumers’ knowledge rendered impacts on intentions but not attitudes. Useful implications for academicians, marketers, and policymakers were also discussed.

Cognitive, Emotional and Excitative Responses to Satirical News

ABSTRACT While satirical news has the potential to sway viewers’ political opinions, empirical evidence for these effects remains mixed. Although some studies have shown that satire consumption results in viewer attitudes being more in line with satirists’ positions, other studies did not. A possible explanation for these conflicting findings is the lack of clarity about the mediating processes that play a role in this relationship. Therefore, the aim of this study was to examine the degree to which both self-reported as well as physiological cognitive, emotional, and excitative responses influence viewers’ attitudes when watching satirical news. We conducted a lab experiment in which participants watched either three satirical or three regular news videos about the same topics. Results showed that satire affected viewers’ self-reported and physiological cognitive, emotional and excitative responses. Nevertheless, viewers’ attitudes were mainly impacted through an affective rather than a cognitive or excitative route. More specifically, only positive emotions mediated the relationship between satirical (vs. regular) news on message-congruent attitudes, but in two opposite directions, which suppressed an overall direct effect on viewers’ attitudes. This indicates the need to differentiate between emotions with the same valence when studying effects of satirical news.