This study contributes by providing nuanced and context-sensitive evidence that explores the applicability of gender in professional AVA design and clarifies the boundary conditions of anthropomorphism's benefits.
Abstract
The design of AI virtual assistant (AVA) avatars significantly shapes user perceptions and experience. However, the interplay between avatar gender, anthropomorphism, and contextual task demands remains underexplored, particularly in specific cultural settings. Grounded in the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) paradigm and Social Role Theory, this study investigates how these two key design attributes influence user experience within the financial service context of Hong Kong. We conducted an exploratory mixed-methods experiment employing a 2 (avatar gender: male vs. female) × 4 (anthropomorphism level: none, low, medium, high) design. Fourteen participants interacted with a series of avatar conditions while completing standardized financial tasks, followed by in-depth semi-structured interviews. Quantitative results, interpreted with caution due to the small sample size, indicated no statistically significant effect of avatar gender on perceived trust, emotional engagement, or anthropomorphism. Qualitative thematic analysis revealed three core insights: (1) a strong context-dependency of user preferences, where professional settings prioritize functionality and moderated anthropomorphism, while entertainment contexts favor expressive and customizable avatars; (2) a complex relationship with anthropomorphism, where moderate levels foster trust and approachability, whereas high realism can induce discomfort or psychological distance; and (3) a prevailing neutral stance toward avatar gender in task-oriented financial interactions, though underlying cultural stereotypes still persist. The study contributes by providing nuanced and context-sensitive evidence that explores the applicability of gender in professional AVA design and clarifies the boundary conditions of anthropomorphism's benefits.
As virtual conversational assistants (VCAs) become more advanced and prevalent, the nature of interactions is evolving. Drawing on social exchange, anthropomorphism and gratification theories, this paper aims to offer theoretical and empirical insights to increase understanding of human-machine (H-M) interactions. More specifically, this study examines the effect of users anthropomorphising a device (i.e. imbuing it with non-physical behavioural and cognitive features) on H-M social relationship formation.
The authors use a literature review, thematic content analysis of 31 semi-structured in-depth interviews, expert evaluation from 11 academics and three separate surveys (n = 512, n = 300, n = 297) to validate and test the proposed effects.
Results indicate that users assigning cognitive and behavioural anthropomorphic features to VCAs experience different types of gratification. When users anthropomorphise their VCA interactions provoke hedonic and social gratification, stronger emotional connections (affinity and rapport) and feelings of friendship, as distinct from para-friendship.
Findings support the development of relationships between VCAs and users, meaning the adoption of VCAs by service managers is encouraged. VCAs appear to offer the social and hedonic gratification that brands often strive for. For VCA designers, findings support extending traditional anthropomorphic design to add behavioural and/or cognitive components, with the goal of triggering social and hedonic gratification from users. Finally, friendship has been linked with improvements in well-being, meaning VCAs could be a cost-effective alternative in health and social care domains.
This research contributes to the H-M social relationship literature by demonstrating that cognitive and behavioural anthropomorphism influence the formation of feelings of real friendship with machines/VCAs (compared to para-friendship). This occurs via the mediating mechanisms of social and hedonic gratification and emotional connection (affinity and rapport). This extends the unidimensional model of anthropomorphism and highlights a new relational context for gratification, positioning it as a possible addition to the traditional relationship marketing framework of commitment and trust (and satisfaction).
Arezoo Fakhimi, Tony Garry, Sergio Biggemann et al.· European Journal of Marketin...· 0 citations
The rapid growth of metaverse platforms has transformed how Generation Z constructs and expresses digital identity, with avatars serving as a primary medium of self-representation in commercial environments such as Roblox. However, the behavioral mechanisms underlying avatar acceptance as a form of virtual identity remain insufficiently explored. This study aims to analyze the factors influencing avatar behavioral intention and usage behavior in the Roblox metaverse by extending the Unified Theory of Acceptance and Use of Technology (UTAUT2) into a modified UTAUMT framework that explicitly incorporates avatar-based identity constructs. A quantitative approach was employed using a survey of 531 valid respondents, and the data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM). The results show that Metaverse Performance Expectancy, Social Influence, Price Value, and Self-Efficacy significantly influence Behavioral Intention, while Effort Expectancy, Facilitating Conditions, and Hedonic Motivation do not have significant effects, consistent with prior findings in digitally mature user contexts. Behavioral Intention and Facilitating Conditions significantly influence Use Behavior, with Behavioral Intention emerging as the strongest predictor. The model demonstrates moderate explanatory power, with R² values of 0.158 for Behavioral Intention and 0.456 for Use Behavior, indicating acceptable predictive capability in a commercial metaverse setting. This study contributes theoretically by extending UTAUT2 to capture avatar-based virtual identity formation better, highlighting a shift from usability and hedonic factors toward social, psychological, and value-based determinants. In practical terms, the findings provide insights for metaverse platform design, particularly in enhancing identity expression and social engagement.
Veda Ardelia, Arista Pratama, Asif Faroqi· bit-Tech· 0 citations
Prior research on chatbot anthropomorphism has often treated it as a unidimensional construct, producing inconsistent findings regarding how human‐like design cues shape user responses. This study conceptualizes anthropomorphism as a multidimensional higher‐order perception comprising three distinct forms of anthropomorphic attribution (physical, emotional, and autonomous) and examines how each dimension independently and interactively influences customer satisfaction with service chatbots. Drawing on the stereotype content model and expectancy violation theory, the study proposes that different anthropomorphism dimensions activate distinct evaluative pathways: physical and emotional cues primarily signal warmth, whereas autonomous cues primarily signal competence. A mixed‐method approach was employed across four studies, combining LLM‐based text analysis with experimental designs. Study 1 identifies the three dimensions from consumers' own descriptions of chatbot human‐likeness. Study 2 demonstrates that autonomous anthropomorphism uniquely drives satisfaction through perceived competence, whereas emotional anthropomorphism enhances perceived warmth, which does not translate into higher satisfaction in utilitarian service contexts, and physical anthropomorphism shows no significant effect on satisfaction. Study 3 reveals a counterintuitive interaction: the positive effect of autonomous anthropomorphism on satisfaction is attenuated when emotional anthropomorphism is high, suggesting that warmth‐signaling cues can undermine competence‐driven benefits in utilitarian service contexts. Study 4 replicates the interaction found in Study 3, and confirms that the attenuation happens in the translation of autonomous cues into competence perceptions and it is this diluted competence perception, not any change in warmth, that carried the interaction into satisfaction. By disentangling anthropomorphism into discrete dimensions and empirically testing their interplay, this research provides a structured lens through which previously mixed findings can be better understood. The findings challenge managers to prioritize autonomous capabilities over superficial human‐like traits when designing AI‐driven services, particularly in efficiency‐focused industries such as banking and e‐commerce.
: Drawing on platform affordance theory, this study compares Soul and Momo to examine how stranger-socializing platforms shape young adults’ intimate relationships through interface design, matching algorithms, and interaction rules. Based on semi-structured interviews with 25 young adults who had used both platforms and three-stage coding, it analyzes the links among technological design, interaction scripts, and relationship forms. The findings show that Momo, through geographical proximity, visual display, and instant connection, constructs an efficiency-oriented filtering script that makes intimacy momentary, shallow, and highly substitutable. By contrast, Soul, through de-visualization, interest-based matching, and narrative expression, constructs a meaning-oriented performative script in which relationships depend more on narrative prelude, sustained investment, and spiritual expectation. Young users move between platforms according to emotional needs, adjusting interaction rhythm, self-presentation, and relationship expectations to produce differentiated forms of the “platformed self.” Yet these choices remain shaped by technological rules and commercial logic. Overall, platform affordances, interaction scripts, and relationship forms form a chain of effects that produces a paradox of platformized intimacy: expanded choice coexisting with emotional fatigue and constrained subjectivity. This study highlights the co-construction of technology and emotion and suggests that platform design should give greater attention to user autonomy, emotional well-being, and a healthy relational ecology.
Xintong Li· Media and Communication Rese...· 0 citations
An increasing number of users on social media anthropomorphize character toys through collecting, dressing, and creating original narratives. However, research on the anthropomorphization of character toys in digital spaces remains limited. This study takes Labubu, a flagship IP of Pop Mart, as a case study to reveal what and how Labubu's anthropomorphized identities are constructed through multimodal discourse practices on Reddit. Drawing on previous research on factors influencing toy anthropomorphism and employing multimodal critical discourse analysis, this study further explores the factors underlying identity construction. The findings reveal three anthropomorphic identity types of Labubu, including individual, relational, and collective identities. The data further reveal that Labubu is frequently gendered as female. These identities are reinforced through discursive strategies such as categorization, personalization, nomination, association, assimilation, activation, and individualization, alongside visual depictions of everyday interactive scenarios. Moreover, the findings suggest that these identities are shaped by multiple interrelated factors, including the need for personalized self-expression, emotional attachment, collective belonging, as well as the diverse identity-building affordances provided by character toys and digital platforms. Broader socio-cultural contexts, such as consumerist values, social class perceptions, cute culture, and gender norms, also profoundly shape these anthropomorphized identities. The study advances understanding of how Reddit users in online communities construct anthropomorphized identities of Labubu and enact self-extension. It also provides practical insights for character toy and IP brands seeking to foster user engagement and emotional attachment through participatory identity construction on social media platforms.
Shudu (@shudu.gram) is a leading example of a virtual influencer: a computer-generated model who engages Instagram audiences through hyperrealistic visuals and branded fashion content. Positioned between digital aesthetics and social media strategy, Shudu represents a new form of identity construction shaped by artificial intelligence (AI), design technologies, and cultural narratives of beauty and power. Her portrayal as a Black woman raises questions about authenticity, representation, and cultural symbolism in digital media. This study examines how Shudu combines design aesthetics, social representation, and marketing engagement to construct a distinctive digital persona. Using a qualitative case study approach, the research integrates visual analysis of composition and symbolism, discourse analysis of captions and brand narratives, and content analysis of follower engagement, including likes, emojis, and comments. The dataset includes curated posts from 2022 to 2025, exploring themes of race, beauty, fashion, and AI–human hybridity. Findings reveal that Shudu’s persona is built on a post-human aesthetic of visual perfection and futuristic elegance. Her narrative blends fiction and authenticity, evoking empowerment, divinity, and editorial nostalgia. Audience reactions demonstrate strong emotional attachment, frequently using expressions like “goddess,” “divine,” and “unreal.” Shudu thus functions as a hybrid entity—simultaneously digital artwork, marketing interface, and cultural signifier—embodying both aspiration and ambiguity within contemporary digital and design influence.
A. Boechat, Ana Luísa Marques· International Journal of Des...· 0 citations
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