Effect of Gratitude Expression of AI Chatbot on Willingness to Donate

AbstractThis study aimed to verify the effect of artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots’ gratitude expression for a fundraising campaign on recipients’ willingness to donate. The mediating effects of self-efficacy and social worth on the relationship between expressions of gratitude and the willingness to donate were explored. The moderating effect of identity disclosure to enhance the effect of expressing gratitude was also investigated. By conducting a 2 (gratitude expression: absent vs. present) × 3(identity cue: text-only vs. robot vs. human) factorial design experiment with 564 American adults, the AI chatbot’s gratitude expression was found to increase the subject’s willingness to donate. The effect of these expressions of gratitude was mediated by self-efficacy rather than by social worth. However, when the AI chatbot provided a human identity cue, not only was the mediating effect of self-efficacy strengthened but the mediating effect of social worth was also significant.Keywords: Gratitude expressionself-efficacysocial worthidentity cueartificial intelligence chatbot Disclosure statementNo potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).Data availability statementThe data used to support the findings of this study are available from the corresponding author upon request.Additional informationFundingThis work was supported by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Korea and the National Research Foundation of Korea [NRF-2021S1A5C2A02088387].Notes on contributorsMin NamkoongMin Namkoong is a doctoral student at the Department of Media and Communication at Sungkyunkwan University. His research interests include human-computer interaction, public relations, and persuasion.Gain ParkGain Park is an assistant professor at the Department of Journalism and Media Studies at New Mexico State University. Her research interests include human-computer interaction, immersive media, and persuasion.Younjung ParkYounjung Park is a senior researcher of Global Convergence Content Research Center at Sungkyunkwan University. Her research interests include natural language processing, machine learning, human-computer interaction, and interpersonal communication in virtual space.Seyoung LeeSeyoung Lee is an assistant professor of the Department of Media and Communication at Sungkyunkwan University. His research interests include interpersonal communication, human communication, and human-media agent interaction.