Empowering Consumers: The Role of Avatar Choice in Consumer-Chatbot Interaction and Psychological Ownership
Xiaohan Hu, Xiaoyu Xu, Chen Chen · International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction · 2025
Due to the advancements in artificial intelligence technology, chatbots have become essential tools in digital communication practices. Within the realm of e-commerce, many brands have already deployed chatbots as virtual agents to deliver consumer services and replace human service agents. Drawing on the theoretical framework of psychological ownership, the present study seeks to shed light on how consumers interact with chatbots by examining the effects of choosing chatbot avatars in an online shopping process. In our experiment, we discovered that participants who made active choices regarding their chatbot avatars experienced an increased feeling of psychological ownership. This enhanced ownership significantly boosted their trust and sense of autonomy, which in turn affected various e-commerce results. These findings emphasized consumers’ active control in affecting e-commerce effectiveness. We further discuss the theoretical and practical implications for chatbot marketing, as well as the broader impact of AI-driven e-commerce and digital communication.