Beyond Words: How Foreign Language Influences the Perceived Social Presence of Anthropomorphized Service Chatbots
(A2024-119581)

AUTHORS

Katharina Saile, University of Hohenheim; Verena Hüttl-Maack, University of Hohenheim

ABSTRACT

Brands are increasingly relying on artificially intelligent agents, such as chatbots, to communicate with their customers. These agents are typically anthropomorphized to a certain degree and simulate a human interaction. The present research shows that the way consumers experience the interaction with these agents is influenced by the language used in the conversation. We provide an explanation for this effect, which consists of enhanced levels of perceived social presence when communication takes place in a learned foreign language (vs. the native language). This effect is moderated by the degree of anthropomorphism and results in positive downstream consequences, such as higher willingness to interact with the agent or more favorable product attitude. Moreover, the authors posit that the heightened perception of social presence in a foreign language is probable to stem from variations in the construction of the cognitive schema of "human being" within the human memory.