A REVIEW OF THE EFFECTS OF ANTHROPOMORPHIC DESIGN ON CONSUMER EMOTIONS
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24191/VoA.v21i2.11816Keywords:
Anthropomorphism, Anthropomorphic Design, Consumer EmotionsAbstract
In recent years, anthropomorphic design has received increasing attention in marketing and product design. By imbuing inanimate objects with anthropomorphic features in the form of visuals, language, and symbols, anthropomorphic design can trigger consumers' empathy and pleasure and then significantly influence their attitudes and behaviors. Previous studies have shown that anthropomorphic design not only affects consumers' emotional responses in a variety of scenarios but also reduces loneliness and negative emotions by triggering emotional connections and social bonds, thus enhancing overall well-being. However, the effects of anthropomorphic design are moderated by individual consumer differences and situational factors. Therefore, this research review summarizes the development of anthropomorphic design, the dimensions of the variables, and the relationships between the variables. It summarizes the mechanisms of anthropomorphic design's effects on consumer emotions. It also analyzes the main research trends, problems, and limitations in the existing literature. On this basis, the paper finally looks into the future research directions in this field and makes some suggestions for practitioners and researchers.
References
Adam, M., Wessel, M., & Benlian, A. (2021). AI-based chatbots in customer service and there. effects on user compliance. Electronic Markets, 31(2), 427–445. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00414-7
Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2007). Is That Car Smiling at Me? Schema Congruity as a Basis for. Evaluating Anthropomorphized Products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 468–479. https://doi.org/10.1086/518544
Alabed, A., Javornik, A., & Gregory-Smith, D. (2022). AI anthropomorphism and its effect on users’. self-congruence and self–AI integration: A theoretical framework and research agenda. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 182, 121786. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121786
Barney, C., Hancock, T., Esmark Jones, C. L., Kazandjian, B., & Collier, J. E. (2022). Ideally human-ish: How anthropomorphized do you have to be in shopper-facing retail technology? Journal of Retailing, 98(4), 685–705. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretai.2022.04.001
Baskentli, S., Hadi, R., & Lee, L. (2023). How culture shapes consumer responses to. anthropomorphic products. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 40(3), 495–512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2023.06.005
Blut, M., Wang, C., Wünderlich, N. V., & Brock, C. (2021). Understanding anthropomorphism in. service provision: A meta-analysis of physical robots, chatbots, and other AI. Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science, 49(4), 632–658. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11747-020-00762-y
Chang, C.-T., Lee, H.-C., Lee, Y., & Wang, T.-P. (2023). “I Doubt It Works!” the negative impacts of. anthropomorphizing healthcare products. Journal of Business Research, 164, 114008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2023.114008
Chen, H., Shao, B., Yang, X., Kang, W., & Fan, W. (2024). Avatars in live streaming commerce: The. influence of anthropomorphism on consumers’ willingness to accept virtual live streamers. Computers in Human Behavior, 156, 108216. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2024.108216
Chen, T., Razzaq, A., Qing, P., & Cao, B. (2021). Do you bear to reject them? The effect of. anthropomorphism on empathy and consumer preference for unattractive produce. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 61, 102556. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2021.102556
Chiang, A.-H., Trimi, S., & Lo, Y.-J. (2022). Emotion and service quality of anthropomorphic robots. Technological Forecasting and Social Change, 177, 121550. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.techfore.2022.121550
Chu, K., Lee, D.-H., & Kim, J. Y. (2019). The effect of verbal brand personification on consumer. evaluation in advertising: Internal and external personification. Journal of Business Research, 99, 472–480. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2017.11.004
Dabiran, E., Farivar, S., Wang, F., & Grant, G. (2024). Virtually human: Anthropomorphism in virtual influencer marketing. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 79, 103797. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2024.103797
De Bondt, C., Van Kerckhove, A., & Geuens, M. (2018). Look at that body! How anthropomorphic. package shapes systematically appeal to consumers. International Journal of Advertising, 37(5), 698–717. https://doi.org/10.1080/02650487.2018.1470919
Ding, A., Lee, R. H., Legendre, T. S., & Madera, J. (2022). Anthropomorphism in hospitality and. tourism: A systematic review and agenda for future research. Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management, 52, 404–415. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jhtm.2022.07.018
Epley, N., Waytz, A., & Cacioppo, J. T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory of. anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114(4), 864–886. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-295X.114.4.864
Feng, W. (2016). When lonely people encounter anthropomorphic products. Social Behavior and. Personality: An International Journal, 44(10), 1649–1660. https://doi.org/10.2224/sbp.2016.44.10.1649
Golossenko, A., Pillai, K. G., & Aroean, L. (2020). Seeing brands as humans: Development and. validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(4), 737–755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.02.007
Gursoy, D., Chi, O. H., Lu, L., & Nunkoo, R. (2019). Consumers acceptance of artificially intelligent. (AI) device use in service delivery. International Journal of Information Management, 49, 157–169. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijinfomgt.2019.03.008
Hudson, S., Huang, L., Roth, M. S., & Madden, T. J. (2016). The influence of social media. interactions on consumer–brand relationships: A three-country study of brand perceptions and marketing behaviors. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 33(1), 27–41. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2015.06.004
Jeong, H. J., & Kim, J. (2021). Human-like versus me-like brands in corporate social responsibility: The effectiveness of brand anthropomorphism on social perceptions and buying pleasure of brands. Journal of Brand Management, 28(1), 32–47. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41262-020-00212-8
Khan, F. M., Anas, M., & Uddin, S. M. F. (2023). Anthropomorphism and consumer behaviour: A. SPAR‐4‐SLR protocol compliant hybrid review. International Journal of Consumer Studies, ijcs.12985. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijcs.12985
Kim, T., Sung, Y., & Moon, J. H. (2020). Effects of brand anthropomorphism on consumer-brand. relationships on social networking site fan pages: The mediating role of social presence. Telematics and Informatics, 51, 101406. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tele.2020.101406
Li, X., & Sung, Y. (2021). Anthropomorphism brings us closer: The mediating role of psychological distance in User–AI assistant interactions. Computers in Human Behavior, 118, 106680. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2021.106680
Ma, J., Tu, H., Zhou, X., & Niu, W. (2023). Can brand anthropomorphism trigger emotional brand attachment? The Service Industries Journal, 43(7–8), 555–578. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2021.2012163
Mourey, J. A., Olson, J. G., & Yoon, C. (2017). Products as Pals: Engaging with Anthropomorphic Products Mitigates the Effects of Social Exclusion. Journal of Consumer Research, ucx038. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucx038
Moussawi, S., Koufaris, M., & Benbunan-Fich, R. (2021). How perceptions of intelligence and anthropomorphism affect adoption of personal intelligent agents. Electronic Markets, 31(2), 343–364. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12525-020-00411-w
Murphy, J., Gretzel, U., & Pesonen, J. (2019). Marketing robot services in hospitality and tourism: The role of anthropomorphism. Journal of Travel & Tourism Marketing, 36(7), 784–795. https://doi.org/10.1080/10548408.2019.1571983
Newton, F. J., Newton, J. D., & Wong, J. (2017). This is your stomach speaking: Anthropomorphized health messages reduce portion size preferences among the powerless. Journal of Business Research, 75, 229–239. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2016.07.020
Niemyjska, A., Myślińska-Szarek, K., & Cantarero, K. (2021). Friends are not to be eaten Children are reluctant to eat cookies that share physical and psychological human features due to their desire to relate to the food. Appetite, 161, 105121. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.appet.2021.105121
Puzakova, M., Kwak, H., & Rocereto, J. F. (2013). When Humanizing Brands Goes Wrong: The Detrimental Effect of Brand Anthropomorphization amid Product Wrongdoings. Journal of Marketing, 77(3), 81–100. https://doi.org/10.1509/jm.11.0510
Sah, Y. J., & Peng, W. (2015). Effects of visual and linguistic anthropomorphic cues on social perception, self-awareness, and information disclosure in a health website. Computers in Human Behavior, 45, 392–401. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2014.12.055
Sharma, M., & Rahman, Z. (2022). Anthropomorphic brand management: An integrated review and research agenda. Journal of Business Research, 149, 463–475. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2022.05.039
Shirai, M. (2023). The Role of Anthropomorphism in Consumer Evaluations of Sustainable Products: A Research Note. Journal of Sustainable Marketing, 1–10. https://doi.org/10.51300/JSM-2023-99
Tam, K.-P., Lee, S.-L., & Chao, M. M. (2013). Saving Mr. Nature: Anthropomorphism enhances
connectedness to and protectiveness toward nature. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 514–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.02.001
Verhagen, T., Van Nes, J., Feldberg, F., & Van Dolen, W. (2014). Virtual Customer Service Agents: Using Social Presence and Personalization to Shape Online Service Encounters. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 19(3), 529–545. https://doi.org/10.1111/jcc4.12066
Xie, Y., Zhu, K., Zhou, P., & Liang, C. (2023). How does anthropomorphism improve human-AI. interaction satisfaction: A dual-path model. Computers in Human Behavior, 148, 107878. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2023.107878
Yang, L. W., Aggarwal, P., & McGill, A. L. (2020). The 3 C’s of anthropomorphism: Connection, comprehension, and competition. Consumer Psychology Review, 3(1), 3–19. https://doi.org/10.1002/arcp.1054
Yuan, L. (Ivy), & Dennis, A. R. (2019). Acting Like Humans? Anthropomorphism and Consumer’s. Willingness to Pay in Electronic Commerce. Journal of Management Information Systems, 36(2), 450–477. https://doi.org/10.1080/07421222.2019.1598691
Downloads
Published
Issue
Section
License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.
