From Stigma to Acceptance: Ethical Implications of Anthropomorphic Design in Healthcare Chatbots.
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| Title: | From Stigma to Acceptance: Ethical Implications of Anthropomorphic Design in Healthcare Chatbots. |
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| Authors: | Chen, Fangyuan1 (AUTHOR) fangyuanchen@um.edu.mo, Pang, Yuting2 (AUTHOR) 12020026@zju.edu.cn, Wang, Lili3,4 (AUTHOR) lw122@zju.edu.cn |
| Source: | Journal of Business Ethics. Jan2026, Vol. 203 Issue 3, p507-529. 23p. |
| Subject Terms: | Chatbots, Care ethics (Philosophy), Social stigma, Social acceptance, Health care industry, Judgment (Psychology), Anthropomorphism |
| Abstract: | Demand for healthcare chatbots has surged in recent years, with companies and governments actively investing in this technology. Drawing on care ethics and technology anthropomorphism literature, this research examines how businesses can design chatbots to provide more supportive healthcare services. Specifically, we explore how anthropomorphic features affect user perceptions and their willingness to adopt chatbots, particularly in the context of stigmatized health conditions. Across six experiments, including a Facebook advertising study, we find that, when consumers perceive the target health condition as highly stigmatized, they are more likely to adopt a robot-like chatbot than a human-like one. This preference arises from the belief that human-like chatbots are more likely to make social judgments, which is undesirable for consumers facing stigma. Supporting this social judgment threat mechanism, we find that this effect diminishes when the human-like chatbot lacks facial features. Our findings advance technology anthropomorphism research by showing how design choices affect chatbot adoption in sensitive contexts. By integrating care ethics, we emphasize the need for empathetic, non-judgmental design in digital health technologies. This research also contributes to stigma research, showing how thoughtful chatbot design can reduce stigma-driven disengagement. Practically, we provide actionable guidance for designers and policymakers, urging them to tailor chatbot features to the needs of stigmatized users to ensure inclusivity. Our research highlights the ethical responsibility of marketers to design technologies that reduce, rather than reinforce, stigma, thus contributing to a broader discourse on business ethics in technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| Database: | Education Research Complete |
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| Abstract: | Demand for healthcare chatbots has surged in recent years, with companies and governments actively investing in this technology. Drawing on care ethics and technology anthropomorphism literature, this research examines how businesses can design chatbots to provide more supportive healthcare services. Specifically, we explore how anthropomorphic features affect user perceptions and their willingness to adopt chatbots, particularly in the context of stigmatized health conditions. Across six experiments, including a Facebook advertising study, we find that, when consumers perceive the target health condition as highly stigmatized, they are more likely to adopt a robot-like chatbot than a human-like one. This preference arises from the belief that human-like chatbots are more likely to make social judgments, which is undesirable for consumers facing stigma. Supporting this social judgment threat mechanism, we find that this effect diminishes when the human-like chatbot lacks facial features. Our findings advance technology anthropomorphism research by showing how design choices affect chatbot adoption in sensitive contexts. By integrating care ethics, we emphasize the need for empathetic, non-judgmental design in digital health technologies. This research also contributes to stigma research, showing how thoughtful chatbot design can reduce stigma-driven disengagement. Practically, we provide actionable guidance for designers and policymakers, urging them to tailor chatbot features to the needs of stigmatized users to ensure inclusivity. Our research highlights the ethical responsibility of marketers to design technologies that reduce, rather than reinforce, stigma, thus contributing to a broader discourse on business ethics in technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
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| ISSN: | 01674544 |
| DOI: | 10.1007/s10551-025-06052-3 |
