Purpose

This study aims to investigate the impact of both physical and personality-related anthropomorphic features of an artificial intelligence service robot on the cognitive and affective appraisals and acceptance of consumers during service delivery.

Design/methodology/approach

The proposed hypotheses that investigate the effects of service robots’ physical appearance on the emphasis consumers place on each evaluation criteria they use in determining their willingness to accept the use of service robots in service delivery and the moderating role of sense of humor are tested by conducting two studies using scenario-based experiments.

Findings

The results show that humanlike appearance leads to higher performance expectancy, mascot-like appearance generates higher positive emotions and machine-like appearance results in higher effort expectancy. The effects of humanlike and mascot-like appearances on consumer acceptance are moderated by the sense of humor of service robots. However, the sense of humor effect is attenuated with a machine-like appearance owing to the lack of anthropomorphism.

Practical implications

This study provides crucial insights for hospitality managers who plan to use service robots in service delivery. The findings highlight the key roles of appearance type and sense of humor of service robots in influencing the appraisals and acceptance of consumers regarding the use of service robots in service delivery.

Originality/value

This study focuses on comparing the effects of traditional and mascot-like appearances of service robots on consumer appraisals and identifies sense of humor as a cute anthropomorphized personality trait of service robots.

中文翻译：

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人工智能服务机器人拟人化特征对消费者接受度的影响：幽默感的调节作用

目的

本研究旨在调查人工智能服务机器人的身体和个性相关拟人特征对消费者在服务提供过程中的认知和情感评价和接受的影响。

设计/方法/方法

所提出的假设调查了服务机器人的外貌对消费者在确定他们在服务交付中接受使用服务机器人的意愿所使用的每个评估标准的重视以及幽默感的调节作用的影响。两项研究使用基于情景的实验。

发现

结果表明，人形外观导致更高的性能预期，吉祥物样外观产生更高的积极情绪，机器样外观导致更高的努力预期。服务机器人的幽默感缓和了人类和吉祥物外观对消费者接受度的影响。然而，由于缺乏拟人化，幽默感被减弱为机器般的外观。

实际影响

这项研究为计划在服务交付中使用服务机器人的酒店管理人员提供了重要的见解。研究结果强调了服务机器人的外观类型和幽默感在影响消费者对使用服务机器人提供服务的评价和接受方面的关键作用。

原创性/价值

本研究的重点是比较服务机器人的传统外观和吉祥物外观对消费者评价的影响，并将幽默感确定为服务机器人可爱的拟人化个性特征。