University of Twente Student Theses
Transparent interactions : The effects of human-like design and chatbot disclosure on trust perception and user experience
Setzmann, Annika (2024) Transparent interactions : The effects of human-like design and chatbot disclosure on trust perception and user experience.
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| Abstract: | Background Chatbots are increasingly replacing human agents in online customer interactions, yet people continue to expect them to be as helpful and competent as real humans. To meet these expectations, chatbots must be perceived as trustworthy, and the user experience should be pleasant and effective. Understanding how chatbot design can influence this is therefore essential for optimizing customer service. Human-like design features could foster trust by mimicking natural interaction patterns, but their overall impact on user experience remains underexplored. As AI advancements make chatbots behave increasingly human-like, it becomes vital to understand how transparency about their artificial nature influences customer perceptions. Without such transparency, users may struggle to distinguish whether they are interacting with a bot or a human. Objectives Thus, this study looks into how the human-like visual and verbal characteristics of chatbots, along with explicit transparency about their artificial nature, influence user trust and experience. Additionally, it examines whether consistency between a chatbot’s human-like appearance and language use plays a role in enhancing trust and user experience. Methods A 2x2x2 factorial design was employed, where 192 participants viewed pre-recorded chatbot interactions that varied in terms of visual appearance (human-like or not), verbal communication style (human-like or not), and transparency regarding the chatbot’s artificial identity. Participants then provided feedback through a survey on their perceptions of trust and user experience. Results The findings show that human-like visual design did not have a significant effect on any aspects of user trust or experience. In contrast, human-like verbal design improved several user experience factors, including attractiveness, efficiency, dependability, and stimulation. It also improved the trust dimension of perceived benevolence. Transparency about the chatbot’s artificial nature increased trust, particularly in terms of perceived ability and benevolence, though it did not affect perceived integrity. Additionally, no significant interactions were found between visual and verbal design or between transparency and the visual and verbal design elements. Conclusion The findings suggest that while human-like visual design may not play a crucial role, focusing on human-like verbal communication and transparency can significantly enhance user trust and experience. This provides practical guidance on how to effectively combine human-like conversational elements with transparency about the chatbot’s artificial nature, to foster trust and improve users’ experiences with the chatbot. |
| Item Type: | Essay (Master) |
| Faculty: | BMS: Behavioural, Management and Social Sciences |
| Subject: | 05 communication studies |
| Programme: | Communication Science MSc (60713) |
| Link to this item: | https://purl.utwente.nl/essays/104589 |
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