METHOD

Search strategy, inclusion criteria, and data collection

Search strategy
Keywords used to indentify empirical papers for inclusion in the meta-analysis
were: anthropomorphism, humaness, humanlike, humanlikeness in combinaiton with
service robot, social robots and robots. These terms were searched on 3 main databases:
ABI/ INFORM, Proquest, and EBSCO. Google Scholar and dissertation databases were
also used in this process.
Next, Identifying which papers (1) cited key studies in the field that develop
measures for anthropomorphism and (2) proposed frameworks including robot
anthropomorphism as a key variable. We also contacted authors in the field to request
access to unpublished studies.
Inclusion criteria
These are 3 criterias that help us decide whether or not a study is suitable, or
useful for our research.
(1) studies that examine the relationship between anthropomorphism of service robots
with at least one other relevent variable from our meta-analytic framework.
(2) Studies are quantitative rather than qualitative or conceptual.
(3) Studies report statistical information that can be used as or converted to an effect size.
Data collection
3404 usable effect sizes reported by 11,053 customers. This information was
extracted from 108 independent samples in 71 studies.
Effect size integration and multivariate analyses
Effect size
Explain: brief trong voice rcd với mess nhóm bộ phận
Steps: We intergrated effect sizes using Hunter and Schmidt’s random effects meta-
analytic approach.
- 1st: corrected the effect sizes for measurement error in the dependent and
independent variables.
- Next, we weighted the measurement error-corrected correlations by the sample
size to correct for sampling errors and calculated 95% confidence intervals. We
also calculated credibility intervals to indicate the distribution of effect sizes. We
used the χ2 test of homogeneity to examine the effect size distribution.
- To test for publication bias we used Rosenthal’s fail-safe N (FSN). We
complemented this test with funnel plots showing effect sizes on one axis and
sample sizes on the other.
- We also reported skewness statistics for effect sizes and the statistical power of
our tests. We used moderator analysis and structural equation modeling in our
meta-analysis.
 MODERATORS
What is moderators:
- Imagine that I’m a doctor, back to the doctor position.
- In the perfect world, patients will come to me just because I’m a doctor, nothing
more than that.
- But in reality, it does not work that way.
- Before come to my office, they have to do a research on me, or ask others people
about me.
o Am I a good doctor, my achievements, my professions, is the hospital that
im working in is a good place, have I killed any one,...
- Those things that I have just mentioned are moderators.
- Moderators are the third variables that effect the relationship between 2 variables.
- In this example, patients and doctors are the 2 main variable, and this relationship
is effetected by the doctor’s reputation, patients’ financial issues,...

1. Robot type-related moderators

Physical embodiment:
Robots can exist in 2 forms: physical or virtual (avatars, chatbots). Related 2006 research
(from Wainer et al.) stated that physical robots possess more positive personality traits
(perceptiveness, watchfulness, helpfulness, and enjoyableness) compared to virtual ones.
Consequently, physical robots are more in the favor of customers.
Therefore, authors predict that anthropomorphism in physical robots is less impactful to
customer intention to use than in virtual ones.

Gender
A robot can have gender characteristics like voice, name, or appearance.
Through these features, customers may form several gender stereotypes such as male
robot are view as more suitable in a service context because of male are perceived as
more business-like, a contrast to female robots.
Therefore, anthropomorphism in female robot will have a stronger effect to customer of
use than non-female robot

Size
Small-size robots tend to create for customers a feeling of being in control the situation,
and they perceived that interaction with a physically superior robot is risky.
Anthropomorphism as a driver for robot use is more important for larger robots because
of its threatening look.

Cuteness
Cuteness compromise certain features from baby schema such as large eyes, forehead,
small nose and jaw - which are considered endearing.
Studies have also shown that customers’ responses to cute products involve positive
emotions and social behavior similar to responses to human infants.
Thus, anthropomorphism in cute robots is predicted to be less impactful than in non-cute
ones.

Zoonotic design
Zoonotic design is inspired by household/wild animals, or sometimes features a creature-
like design with no real-life counterpart.
The resemblance of zoonotic robots to vulnerable animals can attract customers’ attention
and caring responses.
The positive impact of zoonotic robots on customers’ caring behavior will substitute the
baby schema effect of anthropomorphic robots like the case of cuteness.

Humanoid design
Robot with humanoid design is typically feature the body shape to that of a human being
with a body, head, two arms, and two legs.
Research has shown that robots with a humanoid design bring out social responses from
humans which accelerates the process of attributing human characteristics to service
robots.
Thus, a humanoid design will strengthen the effect of anthropomorphic robots to
customers' use intention.

2. Service context-related moderator

Critical services
Critical services are those that play an essential role for customers, such as booking hotel
rooms, buying tickets, and banking.
As these services are important to customers, they worry that error may occur, customer
tend to interact with human personnel with these types of services.
However, uncertainity from customer can be reduced when technology is assigned with
some human characteristics.
So, robot anthropomorphism is assumed to be have stronger effect when it comes to
critical services than noncritical ones

Possession-processing services
Possession-processing services include services which targeted at goods and other
physical possessions belonging to the customer such as cleaning an apartment, freight
transportation, goods storage, and laundry services.
Customer are not involved much in the provision of these services. They only assess the
quality of service based on the final result.
Thus, robot anthropomorphism will play a minor role for customers in these contexts
because there is very little interaction with the robot.
Information-processing services
Information-processing services, including banking and market research. Customers may
be unsure how good the robot’s service was in these contexts.
Certain researché indicate that the service robot’s anthropomorphism may reduces
customer uncertainty in these cases.
That's why anthropomorphism gains importance as a predictor in this context of service.

People-processing service
People-processing services for example in health care, restaurants, hotels, and passenger
transportation.
Research shows that humanlike robots achieve higher customer acceptance rates for these
services.
As a result, anthropomorphism is predicted to be more impactful in people-processing
service compared to non people-processing service.

Mental stimulus-processing services

covers mental stimulus–processing services directed at the customer’s mind such as:
education, entertainment, news, and information.
These types of services don't require physical presence of robot.
Therefore, the influence of anthropomorphism on intention to use the robot will be
weaker for this service type.

RESULT
Result of effect size intergration
- Six out of nine tested traits/ predispositions and sociademorgraphic variables were
related to anthropomorphism.
o With strongest effect for competence, computer anxiety.
- Second, anthropomorphism was related to all robot-related and functional
mediators and to some relational mediators
- Third, we assessed the influence of anthropomorphism on intention to use the
robot in future. We found that anthropomorphism was strongly related to this
outcome variable
Result of SEM
- Conceptual model was tested using SEM (structural equation modeling).
- The matrix include 16 constructs of the meta-analytic framework.
- 2 high correlations was observed, however, this result is unsuprising.
o The first was between usefulness and intention to use.
o The 2nd was between robot and anthropomorphism animacy.
Moderator analysis
- Subgroup analysis and meta-regression were used.
- The authors first use subgroup analysis. Then, they use metare-gession to validate
that results. They found that those moderating effect was in line with the results of
the subgroup analysis which exactly anticipated with their pervious predictions.