Trust in service robot: the role of appearance anthropomorphism

Min Qin, Shuqin Li, Wei Zhu and Shanshan Qiu

Current Issues in Tourism, 2025, vol. 28, issue 1, 36-54

Abstract: An increasing number of hotels and restaurants are using service robots as front-line employees, yet the lack of consumer trust in service robots affects the service experience. To enhance trust, companies have added anthropomorphism designs for service robots. This study investigated the effects of service robot anthropomorphism on trust and psychological mechanisms of trust in service robot. This study conducted three scenario-based experiments to explore the mechanisms of the service robot appearance anthropomorphism effect on trust. The results show that consumers are more likely to trust service robots with a higher degree of appearance anthropomorphism. The anthropomorphism appearance of service robots affects consumers’ perceived interpersonal attraction, including physical attraction, task attraction and social attraction, which in turn affects trust. In addition, consumers’ technology readiness moderates the effect of service robot anthropomorphism on interpersonal attraction. This paper develops research on consumer trust in service robots, and provides guidance for marketing practices of service robots.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1080/13683500.2023.2295923

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