The effect of hyper-realistic virtual influencers’ physical and mental humanlikeness on interpersonal relationships: focusing on self-disclosure and humanlike appearance

Abstract

Virtual influencers (VIs), digitally created nonhuman characters, have garnered a significant following on social media in recent years. The primary goal of this study was to investigate roles of a VI’s physical and mental humanlikeness in predicting consumers’ intention to develop relationships with VIs. Specifically, this study focused on two research questions: (a) Can VIs effectively utilize self-disclosure as a strategy to develop intimate relationships with their followers? (b) What determines the degree of physical and mental humanlikeness of VIs and how important are physical and mental humanlikeness in developing relationships with VIs? Based on the social penetration theory, anthropomorphism theories, and the mind perception theory, this study proposed that the VI’s humanlikeness affects trust and behavioral outcomes toward the VI. Specifically, consumers were expected to perceive varying levels of the VI’s physical and mental humanlikeness based on their social media presentations (appearance type and self-disclosure). Furthermore, the study aimed to understand the effect of humanlikeness perceptions on social responses (closeness, authenticity, and trust) and behavioral outcomes (intention to follow the VI, friendship with the VI, intention to follow the VI’s advice, and brand attitude).To investigate the research questions, an online experimental study was conducted. The study recruited female participants aged 18-40 via Prolific (N =721). The study utilized a 2 (appearance type: HVI vs. AVI) x 2 (self-disclosure: high vs. low) x 3 (VI: Bermuda, Imma, Rozy) between-subjects experimental factorial design. Participants were invited to the study, where they were introduced to a VI and viewed their social media posts (i.e., Instagram). The VI’s appearance type was manipulated using photos with varying degrees of physical resemblance to humans: hyper-realistic humanized VIs (HVIs) and animated human VIs (AVIs). Self-disclosure was manipulated through post contexts that depicted two different levels of the VI’s self-disclosure: high versus low self-disclosure. The results of MANCOVA revealed that when the VI possessed a more humanlike appearance, consumers perceived higher physical humanlikeness. Additionally, consumers perceived a higher mental humanlikeness when the level of self-disclosure was high (vs. low). The findings from Structural Equation Modeling indicated that VIs’ physical humanlikeness enhanced perceptions of authenticity, but not closeness toward the VI. On the other hand, mental humanlikeness increased perceptions of both closeness and authenticity. Notably, the effects of mental humanlikeness on closeness and authenticity were more pronounced than those of physical humanlikeness. Furthermore, the feelings of closeness and authenticity strengthened trust toward the VI, positively influencing relationship outcomes (intention to follow and friendship) as well as business outcomes (intention to follow the VI’s advice and brand attitude). This study suggests a novel theoretical model on VI–follower relationships by integrating the theoretical frameworks of social penetration theory, anthropomorphism theories, and mind perception theory. This offers insights into how consumers build relationships with highly humanlike virtual entities on social media. This study highlights the significant role of VI’s mental humanlikeness in building trust and relationships with people. Further, the study also emphasizes the role of authenticity in establishing trust with VIs and suggests self-disclosure as a means to enhance the VI’s authenticity. Based on the results, VIs have the potential to become friends beyond marketing tools, fostering genuine human connections. Finally, the study offers knowledge and implications that can guide developers and brands in designing successful VIs by utilizing humanlike content in their social media posts to foster strong relationships with followers.