Although the notion of self‐disclosure has received wide attention since the new millennium, most studies on this topic focus on consumer disclosure, leaving unexamined if brands could benefit from ...self‐disclosure. Therefore, the question remains unanswered if the positive effects of brand self‐disclosure on important relational and transactional variables observed in other contexts than consumer–brand relationships would be observed if self‐disclosure was made by brands. This study addresses this question, specifically discussing if brand self‐disclosure can enhance brand trust and willingness‐to‐buy (WTB) through the mediating effect of brand intimacy. Results from two scenario‐based experiments indicate that engaging in self‐disclosure—that is, disclosing some information that was kept unknown so far—helps brands create intimacy and trust with consumers, leading these individuals to exhibit higher WTB. Further, results show that all self‐disclosures are not equal, and it is when the brand engages in the disclosure of positive (vs. negative) information that consumers perceive more brand intimacy, and this even more when such information is disclosed in an anthropomorphic manner. These findings thus provide consistent empirical evidence showing that brand self‐disclosure—if providing positive information in an anthropomorphic manner—can serve as a critical tool for brands in their relationships with customers.
Organizations are increasingly relying on service robots to improve efficiency, but these robots often make mistakes, which can aggravate customers and negatively affect organizations. How can ...organizations mitigate the frontline impact of these robotic blunders? Drawing from theories of anthropomorphism and mind perception, we propose that people evaluate service robots more positively when they are anthropomorphized and seem more humanlike-capable of both agency (the ability to think) and experience (the ability to feel). We further propose that in the face of robot service failures, increased perceptions of experience should attenuate the negative effects of service failures, whereas increased perceptions of agency should amplify the negative effects of service failures on customer satisfaction. In a field study conducted in the world's first robot-staffed hotel (Study 1), we find that anthropomorphism generally leads to higher customer satisfaction and that perceived experience, but not agency, mediates this effect. Perceived experience (but not agency) also interacts with robot service failures to predict customer satisfaction such that high levels of perceived experience attenuate the negative impacts of service failures on customer satisfaction. We replicate these results in a lab experiment with a service robot (Study 2). Theoretical and practical implications are discussed.
As robots become prevalent, people are increasingly interacting with multiple robots at once. Thus, it is important to not only examine how robot behavior toward humans affects interaction, but how ...robot behavior toward other robots affects interaction. We examine this in two studies. In Study 1, 630 participants from the USA and Japan viewed a video of one or more minimally social robots interacting differently towards humans (functionally/socially) and towards robots (single robot/functionally/socially). In Study 2, 71 participants from the USA completed two box-sorting tasks on a team with two robots that behaved differently toward humans (functionally/socially) and toward robots (functionally/socially). Results from the two studies indicate that robot behavior toward robots that was social, compared to functional, increased anthropomorphism of robots. Robot behavior toward humans that was social, compared to functional, increased positive emotions and willingness to interact with them. Finally, in these cooperative contexts between humans and robots, perceptions of robot group cohesiveness or “entitativity” increased positive perceptions or willingness to interact with robots. When robots are designed for positive human interaction (e.g., computer), they should behave socially toward humans; when robots should be considered intelligent (e.g., tutor robots), they may best be designed as social toward robots as well.
•Social robot behavior toward robots increased anthropomorphism of robots.•Social robot behavior toward humans increased positive responses toward robots.•Perceived robot group entitativity increased positive responses toward robots.
The uncanny valley hypothesis, proposed already in the 1970s, suggests that almost but not fully humanlike artificial characters will trigger a profound sense of unease. This hypothesis has become ...widely acknowledged both in the popular media and scientific research. Surprisingly, empirical evidence for the hypothesis has remained inconsistent. In the present article, we reinterpret the original uncanny valley hypothesis and review empirical evidence for different theoretically motivated uncanny valley hypotheses. The uncanny valley could be understood as the naïve claim that any kind of human-likeness manipulation will lead to experienced negative affinity at close-to-realistic levels. More recent hypotheses have suggested that the uncanny valley would be caused by artificial-human categorization difficulty or by a perceptual mismatch between artificial and human features. Original formulation also suggested that movement would modulate the uncanny valley. The reviewed empirical literature failed to provide consistent support for the naïve uncanny valley hypothesis or the modulatory effects of movement. Results on the categorization difficulty hypothesis were still too scarce to allow drawing firm conclusions. In contrast, good support was found for the perceptual mismatch hypothesis. Taken together, the present review findings suggest that the uncanny valley exists only under specific conditions. More research is still needed to pinpoint the exact conditions under which the uncanny valley phenomenon manifests itself.
The Early Bronze Age terracotta figurines unearthed during four-year rescue excavations between 2015 and 2018 in the Southern Lower Town of Tilbaşar, which is located near the Gündoǧan neighborhood ...of the Oǧuzeli town in the province of Gaziantep, are the main theme of this study. Of the 36 figurines in total, 10 are have an anthropomorphic form and the other 26 are formed in a zoomorphic style. All of the figurines are handmade. Almost all of them are broken. Only 19 figurines could be related to the stratum. These came from the contexts belonging to the last two layers of the Early Bronze Age (Levels 4 and 5, 2.300/2.200-2.100/2.050 BC) extending from the street and its surroundings. Others are finds from uncertain contexts. Anthropomorphic figurines are divided into two main types in terms of face, neck, and hairstyles (Type 1 and Type 2). In Type 1, the design is characterized by short notches, as in Type 2, body details were created by adding clay pieces. Type 2 has also four subtypes. Simply hand-made zoomorphic figurines consist of four-legged bovine animal models. The zoomorphic figurines, which probably represent a bull, have two subtypes, roughly shape and elaborately prepared ones. The discovery of a large number of terracotta figurines during the rescue excavations at Tabqa and Tishrin Dam projects in the Middle Euphrates region of Syria increased the number of studies on this subject. The majority of the Early Bronze Age figurines, most of which have been published, consist of fragments. The number of those who are intact is few. The Tilbaşar anthropomorphic figurines show similarities with the figurines of MAI 2-3, MA II-III and MA V 2 a, which are described by Leila Badre as the Euphrates ones, and with the figurines MEFT A 01a and MEFT A 02 of Ferhan Sakal. These consist of male and female figurines with the pillar-shaped lower body, standing, hands-on chest or short arms, distinctive hair and necklace decoration. The terracotta figurines are spread across a wide geography including the Euphrates valley and also the area between the Balikh and Habur River valleys. The core area of this type is the Tabqa region between Tell es-Sweyhat and Tall Bi'a. Figurines are seen in the region during the second half of the 3rd millennium BC. The standardization process of the Early Bronze Age pottery of the Middle Euphrates valley is also observed in the terracotta figurines. The only ancient site in Turkey, including many subtypes of the MEFT A 02 figurines as the regional representatives with the pillar-shaped lower body, flat upper body, distinctive shoulders, elaborate hairstyle, and neckwear is Tilbaşar. There is no difference between this type and the type 2 of Tilbaşar in terms of production technique and stylistic features. These arti- facts should represent the products of regional art as if they were handed by the same master. The figurines are defined as objects that serve a range of purposes from liturgical objects of temples to personal belongings and are unearthed in the public and the domestic areas. The distribution of the Middle Euphrates-type Early Bronze Age figurines in the settlement indicates that they mostly came from private residences and public areas. Tilbaşar figurines also came from residences and public areas of the quarters located near the city wall of the Lower Town, all having secular characteristics. The figurines from the latest two layers of the Early Bronze contexts in Tilbaşar indicate common features with the Middle Euphrates valley settlements in terms of stylistic features, finding condition and history. Tilbaşar figurines present a production similar to the clay repertoire of the Middle Euphrates valley (between Tishrin and Tabqa) in Syria and also reflects the common belief system and visual art of this region. In this study it is not aimed to discuss the meaning and iconography of figurines; the study deals with their typology, their distribution in the settlement and geographic spread.
The Wooldridge Memorial Lecture at BVA Congress at London Vet Show will be delivered by John Bradshaw, visiting fellow at the University of Bristol, and author of the non-fiction bestsellers ‘Dog ...Sense/In Defence of Dogs’ and ‘Cat Sense’, under the title ‘Our imaginary pets: why anthropomorphism is both essential and disastrous for canine (and feline) welfare’.
Brand anthropomorphism is recognised as an important construct in marketing, yet it lacks clarity in operationalisation and valid measurement. The objective of this research, therefore, is to develop ...and validate the brand anthropomorphism scale (BASC). Brand anthropomorphism is defined as the perception of brand as an entity that has analogical human-like features, mental and emotional states that people believe to be distinctively human. It is conceptualised as a multidimensional superordinate construct. Across six studies (N = 1666), this research develops a valid and reliable measure of brand anthropomorphism that has psychometric properties for convergent, discriminant and predictive validity. The results indicate that brand anthropomorphism is a valid predictor of outcomes such as brand trust and brand commitment. Finally, in support of incremental validity, it is identified that the BASC explains variance in brand trust and brand commitment above and beyond the measure of brand anthropomorphism commonly employed in the literature. Theoretical implications for research and implications for practice are also discussed.
•A 12-item scale to measure brand anthropomorphism was developed and validated.•The scale exhibits a good model fit as demonstrated with confirmatory factor analysis.•The scale exhibits high levels of convergent, discriminant and predictive validity.•The scale measures brand anthropomorphism better than the currently utilised assessment method.•Brand anthropomorphism positively affects brand commitment and brand trust.
Artificial intelligence service agents (AISA), such as chatbots and virtual assistants, are becoming increasingly pervasive in service. Research to date has not adequately addressed how the unique ...nature of AISA shape consumers’ service quality expectations. A deeper understanding of AISA service quality is important for their successful deployment in the service sector. To address this gap, we reviewed marketing and information systems literatures and conducted qualitative in-depth interviews with 37 informants, inclusive of 28 AISA users and nine AISA experts. We developed a conceptual framework for how consumers use and evaluate AISA. Twelve service quality dimensions emerged from the qualitative evidence representing AISA service quality, two of which align with AISA’s unique characteristics. The study extends the service quality theory to a new context and offers fresh insights for theory and practice. It culminates with a research agenda to advance research on AISA service quality.
Literature regarding the effect of anthropomorphism on sustainability behaviors is contradictory, which suggests that that anthropomorphism is contextually sensitive. The current study seeks to add ...clarity to this domain by assessing the role of anthropomorphism on consumer sustainability behavior. Three experimental studies demonstrate that anthropomorphic cues (especially sad faces) activate a savior effect, which occurs when an anthropomorphic messenger is viewed as a victim and evokes feelings of sympathy. In turn, sympathy leads to enhanced sustainability behavior to save the victim from harm. However, when the desired sustainability behavior costs the consumer, this effect is suppressed – in such cases, the anthropomorphic messenger shifts from threatened victim to marketing agent, which reduces sympathy toward the messenger. Thus, companies seeking to promote sustainable behaviors and preferences for sustainable products could use anthropomorphism but only when the behavior does not result in additional payment to the organization.
•Anthropomorphic cues (especially sad faces) increase sympathy.•In turn, sympathy leads to enhanced sustainability behavior.•When payment is required, anthropomorphism is not effective in boosting sympathy.•Companies should therefore use anthropomorphism only when payment is not required.
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