The Influences of Perceptual Variables on Anthropomorphization Toward Products

Abstract

Psychological studies have provided theoretical accounts of anthropomorphism toward nonhuman animals or technological agents. However, the theories present no empirical evidence that would provide a clear account of anthropomorphism toward daily use products. This study empirically tested the predictions that diverse variables derived from the general theory of anthropomorphism would influence the tendency to anthropomorphize industrial products. The results of the study demonstrate that people are motivated to anthropomorphize intelligent products primarily under the operating context of human-product interaction, and in particular, a products perceived similarity to a human is a significant variable for eliciting anthropomorphism toward social products. The results also indicate that the dominant variables of anthropomorphization towards products vary between different stages in usage. These results have important implications for designers who are attempting to employ anthropomorphic design to enhance user acceptance of products.