The effects of smartphone assistants' anthropomorphism on consumers' psychological ownership and perceived competence of smartphone assistants

Abstract Few studies on the effects of smartphone assistants' anthropomorphism on consumer behavior have been conducted. This study explored the effects of anthropomorphism on consumers' psychological ownership of smartphone assistants and perceptions of their competence. Moreover, it investigated arousal during smartphone assistant use and examined how relationship norms governing the consumer–smartphone assistant relationship moderate the effects of anthropomorphism on psychological ownership. In study 1, which had a one‐factorial design (high vs. low anthropomorphism), a highly anthropomorphic smartphone assistant was perceived to be more competent. In study 2, which followed the same experimental procedure under a 2 × 2 full factorial design, the anthropomorphism–relationship norms interaction moderated psychological ownership. Psychological ownership fully mediated the effect of anthropomorphism on perceived competence. Study 3 employed a 2 (anthropomorphism: high vs. low) × 2 (arousal: high vs. low) × 2 (relationship norms: exchange vs. communal) full factorial design. In the high arousal condition, anthropomorphism and relationship norms exerted no significant effect on psychological ownership. A conditional indirect effect from anthropomorphism to perceived competence through psychological ownership was only significant under low arousal and adherence to communal relationship norms. In summary, the degree of anthropomorphism influenced perceived competence through psychological ownership. Therefore, companies should incorporate anthropomorphic cues into smartphone assistant design, thereby promoting their personification by consumers and benefiting perceptions of their competence.