Impact of Anthropomorphic Design on User Sentiment and Sustained Use Intention towards Household Healthcare

Abstract

Although the household healthcare system is one of the cutting-edge application areas of anthropomorphic design, it remains to be further explored whether anthropomorphism is always effective. This article focuses on the context of aging-friendly household healthcare services and explores how anthropomorphic design affects users’ sustained use intention through sentiment feedback mechanisms. With the help of questionnaire surveys, 511 valid samples were randomly collected for empirical analysis and hypothesis testing. The results showed that positive interactions, cultural backgrounds, and appearance could enhance users’ perception of anthropomorphism from large to small. In addition, the positive (negative) sentiment of users plays a positive (negative) full mediating role in the relationship between anthropomorphic design and sustained use intention, and user technology anxiety moderates such relationships. That is, compared to low-level technology anxiety, in high-level states, anthropomorphic design for household healthcare systems and products has a weaker (stronger) positive (negative) effect on sustained use intention through positive (negative) emotions.