online chatbot hypocrisy induction

Considering the effectiveness of chatbots in inducing hypocrisy in individuals during epidemics and thus promoting social distance maintenance, the authors used the theory of hypocrisy induction to explore other factors that enhance the effectiveness of chatbots' hypocrisy induction of adolescents, such as increased anthropomorphism and consideration of the co-moderating effects of internal and external factors. The results of the two studies indicate that adolescents experience stronger social distance maintenance intentions after being hypocrisy induced by chatbots; anthropomorphism and self-construal have a co-moderating role in the effects of chatbot hypocrisy induction on social distance maintenance in adolescents. Specifically, for adolescents with dependent self-construal, hypocrisy elicitation by chatbots with high anthropomorphism was more likely to increase social distance maintenance intentions, whereas chatbots with low anthropomorphism did not significantly affect social distance maintenance intentions. Conversely, for adolescents with the independent self-construal, they were not affected by hypocrisy induction.