The Effect Of Anthropomorphic Appeal On Consumer Protective Behavior In Service Facilities

Authors

  • Dwinita Laksmidewi Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Jakarta, Indonesia

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.24912/jm.v25i3.763
Keywords: anthropomorphism, fear, protective behaviour.

Abstract

Implementing health protocols, wearing masks, and maintaining physical distance in the service facilities are necessary during this Covid-19 pandemic. So, we need a health appeal message in the service industry to discipline consumer behaviour. This study examines the effects of anthropomorphic persuasive appeal on consumer protective behavior. This study consists of two studies and used an experimental method. The results showed that the anthropomorphic persuasive message made consumers feel more fear, understand the message more easily, and perceive that the object had more power. The effect of messages on protective behavior is significantly mediated by fear. Meanwhile, ease of understanding and power are not significant mediations. Study 2 which focuses on the application in service facilities also shows that anthropomorphic appeal can influence protective behaviour. These results indicate that the emotional aspect, in this case, the fear of consumers, has more influence on protective behaviour.


Author Biography

Dwinita Laksmidewi, Faculty of Economics and Business, Universitas Katolik Indonesia Atma Jaya, Jakarta, Indonesia

dwinita.laksmi@atmajaya.ac.id

References

Aggarwal, P., and Mcgill, A. L. (2007). Is that car smiling at me? Schema congruity as a basis for evaluating anthropomorphized products. Journal of Consumer Research, 34(4), 468–479. https://doi.org/10.1086/518544.

Ali, F., Dogan, S., Amin, M., Hussain, K., and Ryu, K. (2021). Brand anthropomorphism, love and defense: does attitude towards social distancing matter? Service Industries Journal, 41(1–2), 58–83. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1867542.

Anderson, C., and Galinsky A.D. (2006). Power, optimism, and risk-taking. European Journal of Social Psychology, 36, 511-536.

Dedeoglu A.O., Ventura K. (2017) Consumer Responses to Swine Flu (H1N1) Threat and Fear Arousing Communications: The Case of Turkey. In: Campbell C.L. (eds) The Customer is NOT Always Right? Marketing Orientations in a Dynamic Business World. Developments in Marketing Science: Proceedings of the Academy of Marketing Science. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-50008-9_66.

DiSalvo, C., and Gemperle, F. (2003). From Seduction to Fulfillment: The Use of Anthropomorphic Form in Design. Proceedings of the International Conference on Designing Pleasurable Products and Interfaces, 67–72.

Epley, N., Waytz, A., and Cacioppo, J.T. (2007). On seeing human: A three-factor theory of anthropomorphism. Psychological Review, 114 (4), 864-886.

Epley N., Waytz A., Akalis S., and Cacioppo J.T.(2008). When we need a human: motivational determinants of anthropomorphism. Social Cognition, 26(2), 143-155.

Faizan Ali, Seden Dogan, Muslim Amin, Kashif Hussain and Kisang Ryu (2021). Brand anthropomorphism, love and defense: does attitude towards social distancing matter? The Service Industries Journal, 41:1-2, 58-83, DOI: 10.1080/02642069.2020.1867542.

Fan, A., Wu, L. (Laurie), Miao, L., and Mattila, A. S. (2020). When does technology anthropomorphism help alleviate customer dissatisfaction after a service failure? – The moderating role of consumer technology self-efficacy and interdependent self-construal. Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management, 29(3), 269–290. https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2019.1639095.

Han, N. R., Baek, T. H., Yoon, S., and Kim, Y. (2019). Is that coffee mug smiling at me? How anthropomorphism impacts the effectiveness of desirability vs. feasibility appeals in sustainability advertising. Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services, 51(January), 352–361. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jretconser.2019.06.020.

Hayes, A.F. (2017). Introduction to mediation, moderation, and conditional process analysis. A regression-based approach. The Guilford Press. New York.

Hoh Teck Ling, G. and Mee Chyong Ho, C (2020). Effects of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) Pandemic on Social Behaviours: From a Social Dilemma Perspective. Technium Social Sciences Journal, 7, 312-320.

Huang, P. H. (2020). Pandemic Emotions: The Good, the Bad, and the Unconscious — Implications for Public Health, Financial Economics, Law, and Leadership. Colorado Law, 20. https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Papers.cfm?abstract_id=3575101.

https://databoks.katadata.co.id/datapublish/2021/03/07/jutaan-orang-belum-patuh-protokol-kesehatan-di-fasilitas-umum.

https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/26/business/social-distancing-brand-logos-coronavirus/index.html.

Golossenko, A., Pillai, K. G., and Aroean, L. (2020). Seeing brands as humans: Development and validation of a brand anthropomorphism scale. International Journal of Research in Marketing, 37(4), 737–755. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijresmar.2020.02.007.

Guthrie, S. (1995). Faces in the clouds : A new theory of religion. Oxford University Press.

Joubert, M. and Wasserman, H. (2020). ‘Spikey blobs with evil grins: understanding portrayals of the coronavirus in South African newspaper cartoons in relation to the public communication of science’. Journal of Science and Communication, 19 (07), A08, 1-26. https://doi.org/10.22323/2.19070208.

Kamil, P.I., Susianto, H., Purwandana, D and Ariefiandy, A. (2020) Anthropomorphic and factual approaches in Komodo dragon conservation awareness program for elementary school students: Initial study, Applied Environmental Education & Communication, 19:3, 225-237, DOI: 10.1080/1533015X.2019.1582374.

Kutschera, U. (2020). The Coronavirus as a Personalized Enemy of Mankind The Coronavirus as a Personalized Enemy of Mankind. April.

Kim, S., and McGill, A. (2011). Gaming with Mr. Slot or Gaming the Slot Machine? Power, Anthropomorphism, and Risk Perception. Journal of Consumer Research, 38 (1), 94-107.

Laksmidewi, D., and Soelasih, Y. (2018). Brand action for environmental sustainability: Is brand a hero or a caregiver? Pertanika Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities, 26(T), 183–196.

Laksmidewi, D., and Soelasih, Y. (2019). Anthropomorphic green advertising: How to enhance consumers’ environmental concern. DLSU Business and Economics Review, 29(1), 72–84.

Larson, L. R. L., and Shin, H. (2018). Fear During Natural Disaster: Its Impact on Perceptions of Shopping Convenience and Shopping Behavior. Services Marketing Quarterly, 39(4), 293–309. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332969.2018.1514795.

Mat Dawi, N., Namazi, H., Hwang, H. J., Ismail, S., Maresova, P., and Krejcar, O. (2021). Attitude Toward Protective Behavior Engagement During COVID-19 Pandemic in Malaysia: The Role of E-government and Social Media. Frontiers in Public Health, 9(March), 1–8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2021.609716.

May, F., and Monga, A. (2014). When time has a will of its own, the powerless don’t have the will to wait: Anthropomorphism of time can decrease patience. Journal of Consumer Research, 40(5), 924–942. https://doi.org/10.1086/673384.

Shao, X., Jeong, E. H., Jang, S. C. (Shawn), and Xu, Y. (2020). Mr. Potato Head fights food waste: The effect of anthropomorphism in promoting ugly food. International Journal of Hospitality Management, 89(February). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhm.2020.102521.

Sheehan, B., Jin, H. S., and Gottlieb, U. (2020). Customer service chatbots : Anthropomorphism and adoption. 115(February 2019), 14–24. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2020.04.030.

Sobol, K., and Sobol, K. (2017). The Power of Negative Visualizations : When Fear Appeals Motivate Consumer Behavior. 45, 892–893.

Tam, K. P., Lee, S. L., and Chao, M. M. (2013). Saving Mr. Nature: Anthropomorphism enhances connectedness to and protectiveness toward nature. Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, 49(3), 514–521. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jesp.2013.02.001.

Tam, K.-P. (2014). Are anthropomorphic persuasive appeals effective? The role of the recipient’s motivations. British Journal of Social Psychology, 54(1), 187–200. doi:10.1111/bjso.12076.

The Khoa, D., Wang, C. Y., and Guchait, P. (2021). Using regulatory focus to encourage physical distancing in services: when fear helps to deal with Mr. Deadly COVID-19. Service Industries Journal, 41(1–2), 32–57. https://doi.org/10.1080/02642069.2020.1831477.

Wan, J., Kulow, K., and Cowan, K. (2020). It’s Alive! Increasing Protective Action Against the Coronavirus Through Anthropomorphism and Construal. Journal of the Association for Consumer Research. doi:10.1086/711849.

Waytz A., Morewedge C.K., Epley N., Monteleone G., Gao J.H., Cacioppo J.T. (2010). Making Sense by Making Sentient: Effectance Motivation Increases Athropomorphism. Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. 1-27.

Wan, E. W., and Chen, R. P. (2021). Anthropomorphism and object attachment. Current Opinion in Psychology, 39, 88–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2020.08.009.

Wu, E. C., and Cutright, K. M. (2018). In god’s hands: How reminders of god dampen the effectiveness of fear appeals. Journal of Marketing Research, 55(1), 119–131. https://doi.org/10.1509/jmr.15.0246.

Zhou, X., Kim, S., and Wang, L. (2019). Money helps when money feels: Money anthropomorphism increases charitable giving. Journal of Consumer Research, 45(5), 953–972. https://doi.org/10.1093/jcr/ucy012.

Zhu, M., Billeter, D.M., and Inman, J.J. (2012). The double-edged sword of signaling effectiveness: when salient cues curb post-purchase consumption. Journal of Marketing Research, 49(1), 26-38.

Downloads

PlumX Metrics

Published

2022-03-08

How to Cite

Dwinita Laksmidewi. (2022). The Effect Of Anthropomorphic Appeal On Consumer Protective Behavior In Service Facilities. Jurnal Manajemen, 25(3), 499–514. https://doi.org/10.24912/jm.v25i3.763