New Journal Publication on Voice Assistant Design

Prof. Hammerschmidt and Melanie Schwede, together with Prof. Morana (Saarland University), have published a new article in the Journal of Service Management:



"Fluent voice, credible choice – how language embodiment and consumption goals shape voice commerce success"



The article explores the question: Have you ever wondered how and when language styles of voice assistants influence your willingness to follow their recommendations?



Across three experiments, the authors demonstrate that figurative language used by voice assistants enhances visual fluency across different consumer goals (hedonic vs. utilitarian). Interestingly, figurative language increases perceived credibility in hedonic contexts, but decreases it in utilitarian ones. They further show that both visual fluency and credibility mediate the impact of figurative language on recommendation adoption, emphasizing the key role of arousal in triggering visual fluency.



The research offers new insights into when and how embodied voice systems either foster or hinder success in voice commerce.



The open access article is available here