Can an android persuade you?

Abstract

The first robotic copies of real humans have become available. They enable their users to be physically present in multiple locations at the same time. This study investigates what influence the embodiment of an agent has on its persuasiveness and its perceived personality. Is a robotic copy as persuasive as its human counterpart? Does it have the same personality? We performed an experiment in which the embodiment of the agent was the independent variable and the persuasiveness and perceived personality were the dependent measurement. The persuasive agent advertised a Bluetooth headset. The results show that an android is found to be as persuasive as a real human or a video recording of a real human. The personality of the participant had a considerable influence on the measurements. Participants that were more open to new experiences rated the persuasive agent lower on agreeableness and extroversion. They were also more willing to spend money on the advertised product. © 2009 IEEE.