UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The hospitality industry can leverage the gender characteristics of service robots to influence customers’ decisions, according to new research from a team in the Penn State School of Hospitality Management.
According to researchers, service robots that have characteristics usually associated with males could be more persuasive with women who lack a sense of power. The team also found that “cute” features in the design of robots — such as big eyes and raised cheeks — may reduce the effect of portrayed robot gender on persuasiveness, as male and female customers responded similarly to robots with these “cute” features.
Lavi Peng, doctoral candidate; Anna MattilaMarriott Professor of Lodging Management Amit Sharma, Edward Friedman and Stuart Mann Professor of Hospitality Management — all at Penn State — led this research. Their findings were published by the Journal of Hospitality and Tourism Management.
Mattila explained that robots could be programmed or designed to have features similar to humans, such as voices, body shapes and names. These characteristics can portray gender. “In addition to robot gender, a consumer’s sense of power — how individuals perceive their ability to influence others or their environment — can also affect how successful a service robot can be in making recommendations.”
Researchers conducted two experiments to see how gender representation in robots might influence the decisions of customers.
First, Amazon Mechanical Turk recruited 239 participants for the study. Participants were first asked to rate their feeling of power, then imagine visiting a restaurant and getting a recommendation from a robot for a breakfast Burrito. In the study, the service robots were all the same with the exception of the color used to depict the gender. Participants rated the robots’ persuasiveness after receiving a recommendation for a meal.
Peng explained that “we found women with low self-esteem were more inclined to accept recommendations from a male robot.” For men with a lower sense of power, the difference was less pronounced. According to our findings, consumers who have a high sense of power are more likely to make decisions based on their own judgment without relying upon societal expectations. They are more self-confident and want to base their decisions off of their own judgment.”
Researchers say restaurants can take advantage of these findings in deciding which types of service robots are used. They could, for example, use “male” robotics to suggest new menu items. The results showed that robots with traits typically associated with men have greater influence over customer decisions.
According to researchers, hotels could also use these findings in deciding what gender characteristics to incorporate into robots that convince customers to upgrade their room.
Peng explained that “upselling and upgrading is all about persuasion. The results of our research suggested robots with masculine characteristics could be successful.” “If the business is aware that their customer is female, then it might want to use a robot with a different gender than they would for a male client.”
The second study investigated how businesses could mitigate gender stereotypes in robot design — or lessen the effect of a “male” robot’s influence on customers with a low sense of power.
Researchers recruited 156 students from universities in the United States because the results of the first study indicated that the portrayed gender on robots affected primarily customers with low power perceptions. Researchers said prior research It was shown that students are typically subordinate or depend on faculty who have authority over the educational outcomes they achieve, which means they represent a low power demographic.
The researchers, in the second experiment, used an iPad that displayed different gendered faces on top of the Bear Robotics Servi Robot. This robot does not possess any human-like characteristics. These features were “cute”, including round faces and large eyes. Participants completed a computer scenario after interacting with and learning about the robot. They evaluated the robot’s recommendations for avocado toast.
Peng stated that both male and feminine customers responded in the same way to both male and female designs. “Businesses that want to combat gender stereotypes should consider using cute robot designs.”
The Marriott Foundation funded this research.
About Penn State School of Hospitality Management
Established in 1937 Penn State’s School of Hospitality Management One of the nation’s most revered and oldest universities. The top-ranked undergraduate and PhD programs at Penn State prepare global leaders through a diverse, rigorous curriculum that has been centered on engaged scholarship since its conception. These programs also feature partnerships with Penn State’s Hospitality Services and Housing and Food Services as well as top global hospitality brands. The Penn State Hotel and Restaurant Society, the oldest Penn State Alumni program group is also located here.
