TY - JOUR
T1 - Detrimental Effects of Anthropomorphism on the Perceived Physical Safety of Artificial Agents in Dangerous Situations
AU - Li, Xueni Shirley
AU - Kim, Sara
AU - Chan, Kimmy Wa
AU - McGill, Ann L.
N1 - Funding information:
This research is supported by the Hong Kong SAR ECS research grants awarded to the first author (HKBU 22500521), the grant from the Outstanding Young Researcher Award by The University of Hong Kong awarded to the second author, and a grant from the Hong Kong SAR GRF research grants awarded to the third author (HKBU 12503018)
Publisher copyright:
© 2023 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2023/12
Y1 - 2023/12
N2 - Designers of artificial agents often give them humanlike features, reflecting assumptions that humanlike agents evoke more positive evaluations than machinelike agents do. However, through four studies, the current article reveals a detrimental effect of anthropomorphizing embodied artificial agents. This effect occurs because these agents appear physically less safe in dangerous situations, which leads to consumers’ diminished self-safety perceptions and less favorable downstream consequences, both attitudinal (e.g., quality and trust perceptions, consumer evaluations, willingness to pay) and behavioral (e.g., information search, donation behavior). However, this detrimental effect is mitigated in non-dangerous situations or for artificial agents that usually do not operate in dangerous situations. The findings also reveal some theoretically important and practically relevant moderators. Specifically, when consumers receive marketing messages that direct their attention to artificial agents’ humanlike minds (e.g., cognitive and socio-emotional capabilities) rather than their humanlike bodies, the negative effect of anthropomorphizing artificial agents disappears. In addition to advancing emerging research on embodied artificial agents, this study provides practical guidance for marketers who plan to integrate artificial agents with humanlike features into their operations.
AB - Designers of artificial agents often give them humanlike features, reflecting assumptions that humanlike agents evoke more positive evaluations than machinelike agents do. However, through four studies, the current article reveals a detrimental effect of anthropomorphizing embodied artificial agents. This effect occurs because these agents appear physically less safe in dangerous situations, which leads to consumers’ diminished self-safety perceptions and less favorable downstream consequences, both attitudinal (e.g., quality and trust perceptions, consumer evaluations, willingness to pay) and behavioral (e.g., information search, donation behavior). However, this detrimental effect is mitigated in non-dangerous situations or for artificial agents that usually do not operate in dangerous situations. The findings also reveal some theoretically important and practically relevant moderators. Specifically, when consumers receive marketing messages that direct their attention to artificial agents’ humanlike minds (e.g., cognitive and socio-emotional capabilities) rather than their humanlike bodies, the negative effect of anthropomorphizing artificial agents disappears. In addition to advancing emerging research on embodied artificial agents, this study provides practical guidance for marketers who plan to integrate artificial agents with humanlike features into their operations.
KW - Embodied artificial agents
KW - Physical safety
KW - Safety perceptions
KW - Dangerous situations
KW - Anthropomorphism
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=85169927101&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2023.07.002
DO - 10.1016/j.ijresmar.2023.07.002
M3 - Journal article
SN - 0167-8116
VL - 40
SP - 841
EP - 864
JO - International Journal of Research in Marketing
JF - International Journal of Research in Marketing
IS - 4
ER -