Effects of avatar cuteness on users’ perceptions of system errors in anthropomorphic interfaces

Abstract

Anthropomorphic design has been widely used in human-computer interactions. Anchored on the baby schema (Kindchenschema) theory, we propose that integrating cuteness elements in an anthropomorphic system can significantly alleviate the users’ negative perceptions of system errors. The results of a laboratory experiment reveal that avatar cuteness can significantly reduce users’ perceived severity of software errors taking place during human-computer interactions. This study not only explores the factor of avatar age in anthropomorphic interface design, but it also introduces the concept of cuteness into HCI research. Practical implications of these findings for human-computer interface design are discussed.