Impact of cultural tightness on consumers' preference for anthropomorphic AI services
研究了文化紧密度（社会规范严格程度）如何降低消费者对拟人化AI服务的偏好，并发现社交焦虑是中介机制，且该效应仅在公共场合显著。
Abstract The current research examines how cultural factors shape consumer preferences for anthropomorphic AI services. The authors investigate the impact of cultural tightness‐looseness, a measure of the strictness of social norms and the tolerance for nonconformity, on the acceptance of anthropomorphic AI services. Through analysis of more than 12,000 product reviews and four experiments, the findings indicate that cultural tightness reduces consumer preference for AI services with anthropomorphic characteristics. The results pinpoint social interaction anxiety as a mediator, whereby increased anxiety due to high cultural tightness subsequently lowers the preference for anthropomorphic AI services. Perceived human identity threat as an alternative explanation for this effect is ruled out. The results further show that the effect of cultural tightness is context‐dependent, affecting preferences in public settings but not private ones. This research bridges a critical gap in knowledge about consumer preferences for AI services, highlighting the significant impact of cultural factors. These findings are crucial for designing products, crafting marketing strategies, and shaping policies in a world increasingly influenced by AI.