Too Informal?: How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction

C. Liebrecht; Lena Sander; Charlotte van Hooijdonk

Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction

C. Liebrecht
, Lena Sander
, Charlotte van Hooijdonk

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

Abstract

This study investigated the effects of (in)formal chatbot responses and brand familiarity on social presence, appropriateness, brand attitude, and quality of interaction. An online experiment using a 2 (Communication Style: informal vs. formal) by 2 (Brand: familiar vs. unfamiliar) between subject design was conducted in which participants performed customer service tasks with the assistance of chatbots developed for the study. Subsequently, they filled out an online questionnaire. An indirect effect of communication style on brand attitude and quality of interaction through social presence was found. Thus, a chatbot’s informal communication style induced a higher perceived social presence which in turn positively influenced quality of the interaction and brand attitude. However, brand familiarity did not enhance perceptions of appropriateness, indicating participants do not assign different roles to chatbots as communication partner.

Original language	English
Title of host publication	Chatbot Research and Design
Subtitle of host publication	4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers
Editors	Asbjørn Følstad, Theo Araujo, Symeon Papadopoulos, Effie L.-C. Law, Ewa Luger, Morten Goodwin, Petter Bae Brandtzaeg
Place of Publication	Cham
Publisher	Springer
Pages	16-31
Number of pages	15
Volume	12604
ISBN (Electronic)	9783030682880
ISBN (Print)	9783030682873
Publication status	Published - 2021

Keywords

Chatbots
communication style
brand attitude
Customer service
brand familiarity
appropriateness

Smooth agents! Onderzoek naar gepersonaliseerde conversational agents in customer service
Liebrecht, C. & van Hooijdonk, C.
20/05/21
1 Media contribution
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Cite this

Liebrecht, C., Sander, L., & van Hooijdonk, C. (2021). Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction. In A. Følstad, T. Araujo, S. Papadopoulos, E. L.-C. Law, E. Luger, M. Goodwin, & P. B. Brandtzaeg (Eds.), Chatbot Research and Design: 4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers (Vol. 12604, pp. 16-31). Springer.

Liebrecht, C. ; Sander, Lena ; van Hooijdonk, Charlotte. / Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction. Chatbot Research and Design: 4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers. editor / Asbjørn Følstad ; Theo Araujo ; Symeon Papadopoulos ; Effie L.-C. Law ; Ewa Luger ; Morten Goodwin ; Petter Bae Brandtzaeg. Vol. 12604 Cham : Springer, 2021. pp. 16-31

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abstract = "This study investigated the effects of (in)formal chatbot responses and brand familiarity on social presence, appropriateness, brand attitude, and quality of interaction. An online experiment using a 2 (Communication Style: informal vs. formal) by 2 (Brand: familiar vs. unfamiliar) between subject design was conducted in which participants performed customer service tasks with the assistance of chatbots developed for the study. Subsequently, they filled out an online questionnaire. An indirect effect of communication style on brand attitude and quality of interaction through social presence was found. Thus, a chatbot{\textquoteright}s informal communication style induced a higher perceived social presence which in turn positively influenced quality of the interaction and brand attitude. However, brand familiarity did not enhance perceptions of appropriateness, indicating participants do not assign different roles to chatbots as communication partner.",

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Liebrecht, C, Sander, L & van Hooijdonk, C 2021, Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction. in A Følstad, T Araujo, S Papadopoulos, EL-C Law, E Luger, M Goodwin & PB Brandtzaeg (eds), Chatbot Research and Design: 4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers. vol. 12604, Springer, Cham, pp. 16-31.

Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction. / Liebrecht, C.; Sander, Lena; van Hooijdonk, Charlotte.
Chatbot Research and Design: 4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers. ed. / Asbjørn Følstad; Theo Araujo; Symeon Papadopoulos; Effie L.-C. Law; Ewa Luger; Morten Goodwin; Petter Bae Brandtzaeg. Vol. 12604 Cham: Springer, 2021. p. 16-31.

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › Scientific › peer-review

TY - CHAP

T1 - Too Informal?

T2 - How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction

AU - Liebrecht, C.

AU - Sander, Lena

AU - van Hooijdonk, Charlotte

PY - 2021

Y1 - 2021

N2 - This study investigated the effects of (in)formal chatbot responses and brand familiarity on social presence, appropriateness, brand attitude, and quality of interaction. An online experiment using a 2 (Communication Style: informal vs. formal) by 2 (Brand: familiar vs. unfamiliar) between subject design was conducted in which participants performed customer service tasks with the assistance of chatbots developed for the study. Subsequently, they filled out an online questionnaire. An indirect effect of communication style on brand attitude and quality of interaction through social presence was found. Thus, a chatbot’s informal communication style induced a higher perceived social presence which in turn positively influenced quality of the interaction and brand attitude. However, brand familiarity did not enhance perceptions of appropriateness, indicating participants do not assign different roles to chatbots as communication partner.

AB - This study investigated the effects of (in)formal chatbot responses and brand familiarity on social presence, appropriateness, brand attitude, and quality of interaction. An online experiment using a 2 (Communication Style: informal vs. formal) by 2 (Brand: familiar vs. unfamiliar) between subject design was conducted in which participants performed customer service tasks with the assistance of chatbots developed for the study. Subsequently, they filled out an online questionnaire. An indirect effect of communication style on brand attitude and quality of interaction through social presence was found. Thus, a chatbot’s informal communication style induced a higher perceived social presence which in turn positively influenced quality of the interaction and brand attitude. However, brand familiarity did not enhance perceptions of appropriateness, indicating participants do not assign different roles to chatbots as communication partner.

KW - Chatbots

KW - communication style

KW - brand attitude

KW - Customer service

KW - brand familiarity

KW - appropriateness

M3 - Chapter

SN - 9783030682873

VL - 12604

SP - 16

EP - 31

BT - Chatbot Research and Design

A2 - Følstad, Asbjørn

A2 - Araujo, Theo

A2 - Papadopoulos, Symeon

A2 - Law, Effie L.-C.

A2 - Luger, Ewa

A2 - Goodwin, Morten

A2 - Brandtzaeg, Petter Bae

PB - Springer

CY - Cham

ER -

Liebrecht C, Sander L, van Hooijdonk C. Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction. In Følstad A, Araujo T, Papadopoulos S, Law ELC, Luger E, Goodwin M, Brandtzaeg PB, editors, Chatbot Research and Design: 4th International Workshop, CONVERSATIONS 2020, Virtual Event, November 23–24, 2020, Revised Selected Papers. Vol. 12604. Cham: Springer. 2021. p. 16-31 Epub 2020.

Too Informal? How a Chatbot’s Communication Style Affects Brand Attitude and Quality of Interaction

Abstract

Keywords

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Smooth agents! Onderzoek naar gepersonaliseerde conversational agents in customer service

Cite this