open access
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open access
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This study examines how customers attribute responsibility for service outcomes provided by a service robot, focusing on the roles of empathic responses from the robot and customer perceived control. A 2 (service outcome: success vs. failure) × 2 (robot empathy: empathic vs. non-empathic) × 2 (customer control: high vs. low) between-subjects design was applied in an online survey context, using a restaurant scenario with a student sample. The findings are as follows. First, customers exhibited a self-serving bias such that they felt higher personal responsibility for successes than for failures. Notably, in low-control conditions, non-empathic robots further decreased the customer’s own responsibility. Second, with respect to robot responsibility, empathic robots were perceived as more accountable for successful service outcomes and less accountable for failures. Moreover, when customer control was high, empathic robots’ contribution to successful outcomes was more positively recognized; when customer control was low, empathic robots bore even lower blame for service failures. Third, empathic robots also increased the store manager’s responsibility in successful outcomes. Finally, for a successful outcome, greater responsibility attributed to both customers themselves and the service robot led to higher positive word-of-mouth intentions. Overall, these results provide a theoretical grounding for understanding consumer reactions to service robots. They also offer practical insights for service providers on how to implement empathy features in robots and manage customer control strategies to optimize responsibility attributions and enhance positive recommendations.
The advancement of digital technology and proliferation of AI-based recommendation systems have intensified users' engagement with digital platforms, exacerbating the issue of digital over-dependence. This study aimed to develop and validate a self-diagnostic scale that systematically assesses the psychological and behavioral characteristics of digital over-dependence. To achieve this, we identified four key factors: compulsive use, sensory desensitization, reward dependence, and stimulus seeking, and developed a 12-item measurement tool. Exploratory factor analysis confirmed a four-factor structure, with each factor demonstrating internal reliability and validity. Confirmatory factor analysis further indicated a strong model fit, and predictive validity was established through significant correlations with existing smartphone over-dependence scales and related psychological and behavioral variables. The scale developed in this study reflects the multidimensional nature of digital over-dependence and can be used to assess and improve individuals' digital usage habits. Moreover, it serves as a foundational resource for exploring the ethical implications of AI-based recommendation systems and digital platform designs. Future research should incorporate diverse demographic factors and behavioral data for further validation and development of preventive intervention strategies.
As the importance of climate crisis and sustainable living increases, the consumption of eco-friendly products is gaining attention. However, there are negative perceptions of eco-friendly products along with positive ones. Consumers tend to purchase products that can achieve their intended purpose, and simply being ‘eco-friendly’ is not enough to popularize products. This study confirms that emphasizing user convenience can increase the purchase intention of eco-friendly products. The results of the experiment show that when consumers perceive eco-friendly products as ‘easy and convenient to use’, they perceive higher quality, which leads to purchase intention. It was also found that the purchase intention tends to increase when high user convenience of eco-friendly products is presented to consumers with low eco-friendly values.
The proliferation of emerging tobacco products, including electronic cigarettes, has posed significant challenges to addressing the issue of adolescent smoking. This study investigates adolescents’ perceptions and behaviors regarding smoking, including electronic cigarettes, and identifies key associated factors. Results indicate that electronic cigarette users prioritize flavor and price when purchasing and find these products more accessible online. Compared to conventional cigarette smokers, they perceive smoking as less harmful and associate it with a more positive social image. Anti-smoking campaigns are regarded as less effective, while exposure to tobacco advertisements is closely related to smoking behaviors. Additionally, adolescent smoking, particularly the use of electronic cigarettes, is strongly associated with negative psychological traits such as stress and depression. These results highlight the role of electronic cigarettes in lowering smoking initiation barriers among adolescents. The findings of this study highlight the necessity of regulations on electronic cigarettes, such as advertising restrictions, and discuss policy implications for preventing adolescent smoking and promoting smoking cessation.
This study demonstrates that environmental cues about how the same location is represented can change consumer behavior. Specifically, we examine how consumer responses vary depending on how letters and numbers are represented, and we explore under what circumstances these location cues may have a greater impact on consumer behavior. In Study 1, we examined the mediating role of distance perception and seat value perception in the effect of letter and number cues on purchase intention. The results showed that letters, compared to numeric cues, perceive the target alternative as closer and assign a higher value to the target, and that these processes influence purchase intention. Study 2 examined the effect of proximity in moderating the effect of these letter and number cues, and found that the effect of letter and number cues was stronger in situations where the objective distance was harder to judge due to a certain distance than in close proximity conditions. These findings contribute to our understanding of consumers’ psychological responses to letter and number cues and provide practical implications for effective persuasion through environmental cues.
This study examines the impact of parental gender and the number of children on pro-environmental consumption intentions, utilizing data from South Korea. Traditionally, mothers with children have been regarded as the primary consumers in the green market, with prior research emphasizing gender differences and child presence as key determinants. However, emerging evidence suggests that the number of children, rather than child presence alone, may be a more precise predictor of pro-environmental behavior. The present study examines the interaction between parental gender and the number of children and explores the underlying psychological mechanisms through motivational(climate anxiety) and cognitive(cognitive fluency) perspectives. An online survey of 1,217 Korean adults revealed a significant interaction between gender and the number of children. Specifically, having more children was positively associated with pro-environmental consumption intentions for men, whereas no such relationship was observed for women. Mediation analyses confirmed that this effect was explained by climate anxiety, with the indirect pathway being significant only for men. Conversely, when analyzing child presence instead of the number of children, only the main effects of gender (women > men) and child presence (presence > absence) were significant. These findings challenge traditional gender-based assumptions in pro-environmental consumption and underscore the evolving role of fathers in pro-environmental consumption. Implications for consumer behavior, green marketing strategies, and environmental policy are discussed.
Upcycling products have garnered attention as a new type of product that reduces resource waste and promotes sustainable consumption. However, the fact that upcycling products are made from waste materials may lead to assumptions about low production costs, which in turn could trigger perceptions of price unfairness. This study examines how perceptions of perceived fairness and purchase intentions vary depending on the product assortment organization of upcycling products and the gender of consumers. Specifically, this research suggests that upcycling products might be perceived differently depending on whether they are displayed based on their physical attributes (attribute-based assortment organization) or their benefits as upcycling products (benefit-based assortment organization). Furthermore, it hypothesizes that the effectiveness of the product assortment organization may differ by gender. Accordingly, the study explores the effects of product assortment organization (attribute-based vs. benefit-based) and gender (male vs. female) on fairness perceptions and purchase intentions. The results reveal that, in attribute-based assortment, males perceived higher perceived fairness and showed increased purchase intentions, whereas in benefit-based assortment, females exhibited higher fairness perceptions and increased purchase intentions. Additionally, the interplay between product assortment organization and gender was found to have a significant indirect effect on purchase intentions through the mediating role of perceived fairness. This study suggests that the differences in product assortment organization and gender play a crucial role in positioning upcycling products and shaping consumer responses. It provides practical implications for developing marketing strategies for upcycling products.