Could a subtle shift in the language used by chatbots improve service interactions? This research suggests that a chatbot’s use of interjections (e.g., “wow” and “hmm”), can shape consumer attitudes and behaviors. Four experiments demonstrate that consumers are more satisfied, more willing to purchase, and more likely to remain loyal when chatbots use interjections. The studies find support for a sequential mediation model where interjections increase anthropomorphism, which in-turn increases perceived listening and then impacts consumer responses. Consumers respond positively to interjections because they feel the chatbot is more human-like, and thus capable of attending to them and understanding their needs. This interjection effect holds across a range of consumer contexts and at different stages of the purchasing process. The findings shed light on why anthropomorphism has a positive effect in human-chatbot interactions, while providing a straightforward means of enhancing customer satisfaction, purchase intent, and loyalty.

中文翻译：

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哇！感叹词提高聊天机器人的性能：拟人化和感知聆听的中介作用


聊天机器人使用的语言的微妙转变能否改善服务交互？这项研究表明，聊天机器人使用感叹词（例如“哇”和“嗯”）可以塑造消费者的态度和行为。四项实验表明，当聊天机器人使用感叹词时，消费者会更加满意，更愿意购买，并且更有可能保持忠诚度。研究发现了顺序中介模型的支持，其中感叹词增加了拟人化，这反过来又增加了感知的倾听，然后影响消费者的反应。消费者对感叹词做出积极反应，因为他们觉得聊天机器人更像人类，因此能够关注他们并理解他们的需求。这种插入效应适用于各种消费者环境和购买过程的不同阶段。研究结果揭示了为什么拟人化对人类与聊天机器人的交互产生积极影响，同时提供了一种提高客户满意度、购买意愿和忠诚度的直接方法。