Will Robots Go Rogue? The Impact of Anthropomorphic Service Robots on Consumer Conformity Behavior

Research Hypotheses
Five hypotheses guided the study: H1 proposed that anthropomorphic service robots (vs. non-anthropomorphic) enhance consumers’ willingness to choose conformity products. H2 suggested anthropomorphism reduces perceived control. H3 linked control deprivation to higher conformity preference. H4 posited sense of control mediates the anthropomorphism–conformity relationship (anthropomorphism → reduced control → increased conformity). H5 hypothesized situational control requirements moderate this effect, with stronger impacts in high-control contexts (e.g., private spaces).
Data Collection
Data comprised 894 incentivized Chinese participants (aged 23–31) across four studies. Designs included: Study 1–2 (single-factor between-subjects, anthropomorphism levels: low/medium/high); Study 3 (3×2, anthropomorphism × control sense); Study 4 (2×2, anthropomorphism × situational control). Robots were categorized as low (mechanoid), medium (humanoid), or high (android) anthropomorphism. Scenarios featured high-control (private hotel rooms) or low-control (public spaces) settings. Key variables: conformity willingness (hypothetical tasks, 1–7 scale favoring majority options); sense of control (Perceived Control Scale, 1–7); anthropomorphism check (Ferrari et al., 2016, α=0.88). Controls included robot knowledge, familiarity, and social class.
Key Findings
H1–H4 were supported: High/medium anthropomorphism robots increased conformity willingness vs. low (e.g., Study 1 significant difference). Anthropomorphism reduced perceived control (Study 2: high vs. low, p=0.007), with control sense partially mediating the effect (β=0.12, 95% CI [0.03,0.26]). Restoring control eliminated anthropomorphism’s impact (interaction p=0.038). H5 held: In high-control contexts (private rooms), conformity was high regardless of robot type (Study 4: no significant difference). In low-control (public spaces), high anthropomorphism boosted conformity (trend p=0.075), with control sense mediating only here (indirect effect=0.16, 95% CI [0.03,0.38]).