Acceptance of Anthropomorphic Technology: A Literature Review

Abstract

Anthropomorphic Technology (AT) is technology that is human-like in design and motivates anthropomorphism. Anthropomorphism is the attribution of human-like characteristics to nonhuman objects. Extant research informs user responses of familiarity and acceptance to AT, but also withdrawal from and rejection of AT. There is little integration of research on this topic. We examine and synthesize studies on user responses to AT published in leading IS journals. We identify kinds of anthropomorphic design and dimensions, and find that although most research demonstrates a positive influence of human- like design on user response, many factors can moderate this effect. We recognize these factors and propose directions for future research.