Artificial empathy in healthcare chatbots: Does it feel authentic?

Research output: Journal contributionsJournal articlesResearchpeer-review

Authors

Implementing empathy to healthcare chatbots is considered promising to create a sense of human warmth. However, existing research frequently overlooks the multidimensionality of empathy, leading to an insufficient understanding if artificial empathy is perceived similarly to interpersonal empathy. This paper argues that implementing experiential expressions of empathy may have unintended negative consequences as they might feel inauthentic. Instead, providing instrumental support could be more suitable for modeling artificial empathy as it aligns better with computer-like schemas towards chatbots. Two experimental studies using healthcare chatbots examine the effect of empathetic (feeling with), sympathetic (feeling for), and behavioral-empathetic (empathetic helping) vs. non-empathetic responses on perceived warmth, perceived authenticity, and their consequences on trust and using intentions. Results reveal that any kind of empathy (vs. no empathy) enhances perceived warmth resulting in higher trust and using intentions. As hypothesized, empathetic, and sympathetic responses reduce the chatbot's perceived authenticity suppressing this positive effect in both studies. A third study does not replicate this backfiring effect in human-human interactions. This research thus highlights that empathy does not equally apply to human-bot interactions. It further introduces the concept of ‘perceived authenticity’ and demonstrates that distinctively human attributes might backfire by feeling inauthentic in interactions with chatbots.
Original languageEnglish
Article number100067
JournalComputers in Human Behavior: Artificial Humans
Volume2
Issue number1
Number of pages17
ISSN2949-8821
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 07.2024

Documents

DOI

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Briefe schreiben in der Sekundarstufe I
  2. Preference and willingness to pay for meat substitutes based on micro-algae
  3. Flexible software support for mobility services
  4. Käsemann, Ernst
  5. Performance of the Chemcatcher ® passive sampler when used to monitor 10 polar and semi-polar pesticides in 16 Central European streams, and comparison with two other sampling methods
  6. Evidence-Based Entrepreneurship
  7. Introduction
  8. Being engaged when resources are low
  9. Donor Upgrading Strategies
  10. Learning with summaries
  11. A duty-block network approach for an integrated driver rostering problem in public bus transport
  12. A Method to Enhance the Accuracy of Time of Flight Measurement Systems
  13. Optimal grazing management rules in semi-arid rangelands with uncertain rainfall
  14. Automation in Clinical Laboratories
  15. Patterns of organizational (sub)culture and their influence on organizational effectiveness
  16. Homogenization for a non-local coupling model
  17. Bright Spots for Local WFD Implementation Through Collaboration with Nature Conservation Authorities?
  18. Innovation in Continuing Engineering Education with focus on gender and non-traditional students' pathways
  19. Bridging scenario planning and backcasting
  20. Targeted metabolomics of pellicle and saliva in children with different caries activity
  21. Pragmatic acts of humour in family discourse in selected Maryam Apaokagi’s comedy skits
  22. Sensor Measures of Affective Leaning
  23. Theme zones in contrast
  24. Coping with distance learning during COVID-19 and its impact on students' emotional experiences
  25. Can management-sponsored non-binding remuneration votes shape the executive compensation structure?
  26. Evaluation of revitalization policies and redevelopment strategy for residential environment in coal mining areas
  27. Applying the HES-framework
  28. The conjunction fallacy and the many meanings of and
  29. Landscape-scale analysis of cropping system effects on soil quality in a context of crop-livestock farming
  30. Communication spaces - memory spaces. Articles on transcultural encounter in Africa