Social Actor or Technology? Experimental Studies on the Perception of Chatbots Versus Humans and Their Implications for Anthropomorphic Chatbot Design

Research output: Books and anthologiesDissertations

Authors

Advancements in AI and natural language processing have enabled chatbots to engage in highly human-like conversations. Additionally, many chatbots are intentionally equipped with various social cues, such as human avatars, to further enhance their human-like appearance. While most existing research highlights the social and beneficial perception of humanized chatbots, this thesis critically examines potential limitations. Through three empirical papers applying both qualitative and quantitative methods, this thesis demonstrates that users typically enter chatbot interactions with computer-like cognitive schemas, leading to different expectations compared to interactions with humans. For instance, users might expect chatbots to respond quickly, objectively, and without emotion. Social cues that clearly conflict with these expectations (e.g., empathetic expressions or response delays) can have adverse effects on central outcome dimensions like perceived authenticity, perceived usefulness, trust, and usage intentions. However, results provide evidence that these effects are moderated by individual and contextual factors, such as the user's inherent tendency to anthropomorphize chatbots. This thesis thus contributes to the ongoing debate on the (non-)social nature of chatbots by providing numerous theoretical insights and practical implications for anthropomorphic chatbot design. It also outlines future research directions and discusses emerging ethical challenges related to AI and chatbots, considering their societal impact and the potential rapid obsolescence of research findings.
Original languageEnglish
Place of PublicationLüneburg
PublisherMedien- und Informationszentrum, Leuphana Universität Lüneburg
Number of pages275
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 27.05.2024

Recently viewed

Publications

  1. Serhat Karakayali: Gespenster der Migration. Zur Genealogie illegaler Einwanderung in der Bundesrepublik DeutschlandBielefeld: transcript 2008, 296 Seiten
  2. Do sustainable institutional investors influence senior executive compensation structures according to their preferences? Empirical evidence from Europe
  3. Heterogenität in berufsbegleitenden sozialwissenschaftlichen Studiengängen am Beispiel einer quantitativen Datenerhebung unter Studierenden und Lehrenden
  4. The conservation value of paddock trees for birds in a variegated landscape in southern New South Wales. 1. Species composition and site occupancy patterns
  5. Lernen durch sportpädagogische Reflexionsprozesse im Sportspiel - Möglichkeiten im Vermittlungsprozess im Rahmen des Sportunterrichts am Beispiel Handball
  6. Berufsausübungs- und -zulassungsregelungen für Betriebsprüfer und Umweltgutachter : auf der Grundlage der Verordnung (EWG) Nr. 1836/93 und nach Umweltauditgesetz
  7. Comparative institutional analysis, the European Court of Justice and the general principle of non-discrimination -or- alternative tales on equality reasoning
  8. Auswirkungen von Investitionen in Erneuerbare Energien (EE) auf Rentabilität und Risiko von Landwirtschaftsunternehmen aus kreditwirtschaftlicher Perspektive
  9. Review existing strategies to improve circularity, sustainability and resilience of wind turbine blades - A comparison of research and industrial initiatives in Europe
  10. Elke Endert: Über die emotionale Dimension sozialer Prozesse. Die Theorie der Affektlogik am Beispiel der Rechtsextremismus- und Nationalsozialismusforschung. Konstanz: UVK 2006
  11. Gunther Wenz: Wolfhart Pannenbergs Systematische Theologie. Ein einführender Bericht mit einer Werkbibliografie 1998-2002 und einer Bibliografie ausgewählter Sekundärliteratur zusammengestellt v. M. Rose.