The Power of Computer-Mediated Communication Theories in Explaining the Effect of Chatbot Introduction on User Experience

Abstract

Chatbots have increasingly penetrated our lives as their behavior growingly imitates a human interlocutor. This paper examines the effect of different methods of self-presentation of a chatbot on the end-user experience. An interlocutor in a computer-mediated communication (CMC) environment can either introduce itself as a chatbot, a human being, or choose not to identify itself. We conducted an experiment to compare these three methods in terms of end-user experience that comprises of social presence, perceived humanness, and service encounter satisfaction. Our data demonstrate that a chatbot that discloses its virtual identity is scored significantly lower for social presence and perceived humanness than other two choices of self-presentation. Key findings and the associated implications are discussed.