The article explores the anthropomorphic metaphors that arise when describing a city and its components. Metaphor is one of the forms of cognition of the essence of a complex object or process. The ...city, as an object of knowledge, can be represented in many ways, one of which is a metaphor. Anthropomorphic metaphors are based on endowing the city with the properties of human morphology, physiology, and psychology. The author aims to identify, structure, and justify the use of anthropomorphic metaphors in various contexts. For this purpose, methods of terminological search and contextual analysis were used, thanks to which terms of urban discourse with anthropomorphic etymology were identified in the field of scientific information. The study established two main contexts of the anthropomorphism of the city: material and physiological and ideological and personal. Examples of metaphors are given and described. The material-physiological context includes metaphors that describe the city as a physical body with various parts and functions. In the ideological and personal context, the city is considered as a person with consciousness, emotions, and values. The author concludes that the use of anthropomorphic metaphors in urban discourse contributes to a better understanding and interpretation of urban processes. However, excessive use of such metaphors can lead to distortion of reality and the creation of false ideas about the city. In general, anthropomorphic metaphors are an important tool for exploring and describing a city, but they should be used with caution, taking the context into account. The use of such metaphors is useful in those communication formats when it is necessary to explain the essence of complex urban phenomena for non-professionals to understand.
As with other businesses, tourist companies are taking advantage of modern technologies. Chatbots are a recent technology that hotels, travel agencies, and airline companies are adopting. Despite ...this industry-wide implementation, there is no evidence about the factors that explain why consumers are willing to interact with chatbots. This work proposes a model to explain chatbot usage intention. The model and its hypotheses were tested by structural equations with the PLS technique. The study was conducted on a sample of 476 individuals who had travelled on vacation in the previous 12 months. The study reveals that the intentions behind using chatbots are directly influenced by the following factors: the chatbots’ expected performance, the habit of using chatbots, the hedonic component in using them, the predisposition to using self-service technologies, the social influences, and the fact that the chatbot behaves like a human. The inconvenience and problems related to communicating with the chatbot were found to have a negative influence. Lastly, the possibility that chatbots could replace jobs had a surprisingly positive influence, and not a negative one.
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BFBNIB, NUK, PILJ, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Along with the popularity of service robots in various service settings, service robots are often gendered as either female or male. This study examines the role of service robots’ gender and level ...of anthropomorphism of service robots on pleasure and customer satisfaction at service encounters. A 2 gender of service robots (female/male) X 2 level of anthropomorphism (low/high) between-subject factorial design is employed to test hypotheses using a scenario-based experimental survey. Results of the proposed moderated mediation model suggests that female service robots generated more pleasure and higher satisfaction compared to that of male service robots, and its influence is amplified when the level of anthropomorphism is high rather than low. Findings highlight the benefit of female service robots in a hotel setting which is only effective when the service robot is humanized, which provides useful guidelines for hoteliers when applying service robots in their service settings.
•This study examines the role of service robot’s gender and level of anthropomorphism on customers’ responses.•A 2 (service robot’s gender) X 2 (level of anthropomorphism) between-subject experimental design is used for the study.•Customers show a higher satisfaction towards a female service robot than male robot only when the robot is humanized.•Moderated mediation model evidence pleasure as a mediator between service robot’s gender and customer satisfaction.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
We review a growing body of research in consumer behavior that has examined when consumers humanize brands by perceiving them as like, part of, or in a relationship with themselves. One research ...stream shows that sometimes consumers perceive brands as having human-like forms, minds, and personality characteristics. A second stream identifies ways that a consumer perceives a brand as being congruent with or connected to the self. Finally, a third highlights that consumers can view brands in ways that are analogous to the types of relationships they have with people. We review research in these three areas and point out connections among these research streams. In part, we accomplish this by showing that factors associated with the SEEK model, which are designed to explain anthropomorphic tendencies, are also relevant to other ways of humanizing brands. We identify major propositions derived from this research and several areas for which additional research is needed. We conclude with recommendations for the many opportunities for expanding our conceptual and empirical understanding of this domain.
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BFBNIB, FZAB, GIS, IJS, KILJ, NLZOH, NMLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBMB, UL, UM, UPUK
AI-based smart healthcare services are emerging as promising tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness of healthcare service delivery. This study aimed to examine the roles of trust and three ...AI-specific characteristics (i.e., personalization, loss of privacy, anthropomorphism) in public acceptance of smart healthcare services based on an extended Technology Acceptance Model. The model's validity was confirmed using a partial least squares structural equation modeling technique based on data collected from 769 survey samples. Multigroup analyses were conducted to determine whether the path coefficients differed by gender, age, and usage experience. The results showed that perceived usefulness, perceived ease of use, and the three AI-specific characteristics were important determinants of public acceptance of smart healthcare services, whose roles were fully or partially mediated by trust. Trust, perceived usefulness, and personalization directly determined behavioral intention to use smart healthcare services. The relationships among antecedent factors and behavioral intention to use smart healthcare services were also moderated by gender, age, and usage experience. The study demonstrated the critical roles of personalization, loss of privacy, and anthropomorphism in shaping public trust and acceptance of smart healthcare services. The results offer important theoretical and practical implications for the design and implementation of such services.
•The present study investigated factors affecting public acceptance of smart healthcare services.•Personalization, loss of privacy, and anthropomorphism were verified as important antecedents of user acceptance behavior.•The effects of personalization, loss of privacy, and anthropomorphism on user acceptance behavior were mediated by trust.•Gender, age, and usage experience could moderate the relationships among antecedent factors and acceptance behavior.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
In this study, we examine how two message appeals—feasibility vs. desirability—and anthropomorphism jointly shape the effectiveness of environmental persuasion. The findings of Study 1 showed that ...the feasibility appeal was more effective than the desirability appeal in an ad promoting recycling. In Study 2, we found that this effect was moderated by anthropomorphic imagery in the ad. That is, the desirability appeal was more effective than the feasibility appeal when the ad featured a reusable cup with a smiley face and first-person copy, whereas the feasibility appeal was more effective than the desirability appeal when the ad featured a reusable cup with no smiley face and third-person copy. Theoretical and practical implications for sustainability marketing strategies are discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
Implementing health protocols, wearing masks, and maintaining physical distance in the service facilities are necessary during this Covid-19 pandemic. So, we need a health appeal message in the ...service industry to discipline consumer behavior. This study examines the effects of anthropomorphic persuasive appeal on consumer protective behavior. This study consists of two studies and used an experimental method. The results showed that the anthropomorphic persuasive message made consumers feel more fear, understand the message more easily, and perceive that the object had more power. The effect of messages on protective behavior is significantly mediated by fear. Meanwhile, ease of understanding and power are not significant mediations. Study 2 which focuses on the application in service facilities also shows that anthropomorphic appeal can influence protective behavior. These results indicate that the emotional aspect, in this case, the fear of consumers, has more influence on protective behavior.
Digital assistant is a recent advancement benefited through data-driven innovation. Though digital assistants have become an integral member of user conversations, but there is no theory that relates ...user perception towards this AI powered technology. The purpose of the research is to investigate the role of technology attitude and AI attributes in enhancing purchase intention through digital assistants. A conceptual model is proposed after identifying three major AI factors namely, perceived anthropomorphism, perceived intelligence, and perceived animacy. To test the model, the study employed structural equation modeling using 440 sample. The results indicated that perceived anthropomorphism plays the most significant role in building a positive attitude and purchase intention through digital assistants. Though the study is built using technology-related variables, the hypotheses are proposed based on various psychology-related theories such as uncanny valley theory, the theory of mind, developmental psychology, and cognitive psychology theory. The study’s theoretical contributions are discussed within the scope of these theories. Besides the theoretical contribution, the study also offers illuminating practical implications for developers and marketers’ benefit.
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EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
The rise of humanoid robots in hospitality services accelerates the need to understand related consumer reactions. Four scenario-based experiments, building on social presence and social cognition ...theories, examine how humanoid robots (vs. self-service machines) shape consumer service perceptions vis-à-vis concurrent presence/absence of human staff. The influence of consumers' need for human interaction and technology readiness is also examined. We find that anthropomorphizing service robots positively affects expected service quality, first-visit intention, willingness to pay, as well as increasing warmth/competence inferences. However, these effects are contingent on the absence of human frontline staff, explained by viewing anthropomorphism as a relative concept. Humanoid robots increase psychological risk, but this poses no threat to expected service quality when consumers' need for human interaction is controlled for. Additionally, we show that a humanoid robot's effect on expected service quality is positive for all but low technology readiness levels. Further implications for theory/practice are discussed.
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GEOZS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, NLZOH, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, UILJ, UL, UM, UPCLJ, UPUK, ZAGLJ, ZRSKP
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