A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words—Exploring Bias in Inclusive Chatbots

Ricarda Schlimbach (), Anika Stoppel (), Lucas Lampka () and Susanne Robra-Bissantz ()
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Ricarda Schlimbach: Chair of Service Information Systems
Anika Stoppel: Chair of Service Information Systems
Lucas Lampka: Chair of Service Information Systems
Susanne Robra-Bissantz: Chair of Service Information Systems

A chapter in Conceptualizing Digital Responsibility for the Information Age, 2025, pp 3-20 from Springer

Abstract: Abstract This study examines the impact of different avatar pictures (gender & disability representation) and gendering on students’ perceptions of chatbots in an interaction on learning strategies with 180 students from a German university. In the first experiment, we manipulated the chatbot’s humanoid profile picture based on gender and the representation of a visible handicap (wheelchair). In the second experiment, we varied its language style. Statistical analysis revealed that displaying a physical disability significantly enhanced trust, credibility, and empathy but reduced perceived competence and dominance. Gender-sensitive language improved perceptions of competence, trust, credibility, and empathy, whereas we did not find significant interaction effects between both factors. Our results imply the necessity of a more inclusive design of information systems and highlight designers’ responsibility in raising awareness and mitigating unconscious bias, as digital learning (technologies) continue to advance.

Keywords: Inclusiveness; PCA; Bias; Chatbot; Diversity; Social cues (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:spr:lnichp:978-3-031-80119-8_1

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DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-80119-8_1

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