Are we behaviorally immune to COVID-19 through robots?

Area of Science:

• Behavioral Psychology
• Tourism Management
• Health Risk Perception

Background:

• The COVID-19 pandemic heightened awareness of health risks, influencing consumer behavior.
• The behavioral immune system (BIS) is a subconscious mechanism for detecting and avoiding health threats.
• Understanding BIS is crucial for analyzing tourist decision-making in health-conscious environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate how the behavioral immune system affects tourists' pre-trip hotel evaluations.
• To examine the impact of service provider type (human vs. robot) on hotel selection.
• To explore the mediating role of sense of control and moderating role of pandemic risk and hotel type.

Main Methods:

• Two between-subject experiments (2x2 design) were conducted.
• Experiment 1 compared evaluations of robot versus human service providers.
• Experiment 2 investigated the moderating effect of hotel type on the human-robot service provider relationship.

Main Results:

• The behavioral immune system significantly influences tourist hotel evaluations, especially during health crises.
• Perceived pandemic risk and sense of control mediate the effect of service provider type on hotel choice.
• Robotization in service delivery may negatively impact tourist perceptions and choices.

Conclusions:

• Pathogen-avoidance mechanisms, driven by the behavioral immune system, are critical in tourist decision-making.
• The findings underscore the potential risks associated with over-reliance on robotization in the tourism industry.
• Future research should consider the psychological underpinnings of tourist choices in evolving service landscapes.