People prefer chatbots when buying embarrassing stuff

People prefer to use chatbots when buying embarrassing products like diarrhea medicine or acne cream, even when shopping alone at home.
According to research, consumers are more likely to engage with a clearly non-human chatbot over a human for sensitive purchases, as it eliminates the risk of perceived judgment and social embarrassment.
Ambiguous chatbots that resemble humans can actually deter consumers from using them, especially when buying products like hemorrhoid cream or anti-wrinkle cream.
When interacting with a clearly non-human chatbot, consumers are more willing to share personal information, choose stores with chatbots, and even engage in sensitive conversations.
The findings suggest that companies can use this insight to design effective chatbots for specific contexts, such as industries where customers may experience stereotype-based judgment or social embarrassment.

A man smiles and covers his face in embarrassment.

Consumers are increasingly tired of interacting with chatbots in customer service. There are times, however, when people prefer chatbots, according to new research.

When purchasing “embarrassing” products like diarrhea medicine or acne cream, consumers would rather engage with a chatbot over another human, even when they are shopping alone at home, according to lead author Jianna Jin, assistant professor of marketing at the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business.

Jin’s findings appear in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.

Jin, along with Jesse Walker and Rebecca Walker Reczek from Ohio State University, looked at how shoppers’ desire to avoid embarrassment influenced two types of interactions with chatbots: when a chatbot’s identity is disclosed, and when it is not disclosed and is therefore ambiguous.

Across seven experiments with more than 6,000 participants, the team created and used its own chatbot to study the intricacies of human-chatbot interaction. People shopped for hemorrhoid medication and anti-wrinkle cream, among other products.

In one experiment, participants were asked to imagine shopping for diarrhea and hay fever medications and were offered two online pharmacies, one with a human pharmacist and the other with a chatbot pharmacist. The medications were packaged identically, with the only difference being their labels for “diarrhea” or “hay fever.” More than 80% of consumers looking for diarrhea treatment preferred a store with a clearly non-human chatbot, which was not the case when shopping for hay fever medication.

Another experiment used a dating app enabled with either a clearly identified chatbot or human match agent that asked sensitive questions about things like body shape. Again, when facing sensitive questions, people disclosed more and preferred a clearly non-human chatbot match agent over a human agent.

Consumer embarrassment also plays a role when a chatbot’s identity remains ambiguous. When interacting with a chatbot that looks and sounds human, consumers who are more likely to be embarrassed when buying hemorrhoid cream, for example, are more likely to infer the agent is human and potentially avoid the interaction altogether.

“When it comes to sensitive purchases, if there’s any doubt about who they’re interacting with, perhaps because of a human-like profile picture, people will err on the side of caution and treat the AI chatbot as if it’s human to protect their self-image,” Jin says.

“It’s a way of preparing for the worst-case social scenario. But give them a clearly non-human chatbot, and suddenly that self-presentation pressure vanishes because there’s no perceived judgment.”

When consumers know for sure they are interacting with a chatbot, they strongly prefer it over a human for embarrassing purchases. And they really want it to look and sound like a machine rather than the more human-like versions the industry is trending toward. These shoppers proved more willing to engage with a chatbot, choose a store that uses one, and even share email addresses and other personal information to get free samples.

“While our studies focus on classic ‘self-conscious’ purchases, the insight extends more broadly,” Jin says.

“A car leasing company could use a clearly identified, machine-like chatbot to assist women in an industry where they may experience stereotype-based judgment.”

The findings can help guide companies in deciding when to deploy chatbots, why they work in certain contexts, and how to design them effectively.

Source: University of Notre Dame

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Q. Why do consumers prefer chatbots when buying embarrassing products?

A. Consumers prefer chatbots when buying embarrassing products because they want to avoid embarrassment and perceived judgment, especially when interacting with a human-like chatbot.

Q. What type of interactions did researchers study in their experiments?

A. Researchers studied two types of interactions: when a chatbot’s identity is disclosed, and when it is not disclosed and is therefore ambiguous.

Q. How many participants were involved in the seven experiments conducted by the research team?

A. More than 6,000 participants were involved in the seven experiments conducted by the research team.

Q. What was the outcome of an experiment where participants shopped for diarrhea medication online?

A. In this experiment, more than 80% of consumers preferred a store with a clearly non-human chatbot when shopping for diarrhea treatment.

Q. Why did people prefer a clearly non-human chatbot over a human match agent on a dating app?

A. People preferred a clearly non-human chatbot because it eliminated the pressure to present themselves in a certain way, allowing them to be more honest and open about their preferences.

Q. What happens when consumers are unsure about who they are interacting with due to a human-like profile picture?

A. When consumers are unsure about who they are interacting with, they will err on the side of caution and treat the AI chatbot as if it’s human to protect their self-image.

Q. Why do consumers prefer a clearly non-human chatbot over a human for embarrassing purchases?

A. Consumers prefer a clearly non-human chatbot because it eliminates perceived judgment and allows them to engage with the chatbot without worrying about being judged or embarrassed.

Q. What is one potential application of these findings in industry?

A. A car leasing company could use a clearly identified, machine-like chatbot to assist women in an industry where they may experience stereotype-based judgment.

Q. How can companies design their chatbots effectively based on the research findings?

A. Companies can design their chatbots effectively by making them look and sound like machines, rather than human-like versions, to reduce perceived judgment and increase consumer engagement.

Q. What is the broader implication of these findings beyond classic self-conscious purchases?

A. The insight extends more broadly, suggesting that consumers may prefer chatbots in other contexts where they feel pressure to present themselves in a certain way or avoid embarrassment.