Hypocrisy Induction: Using Chatbots to Promote COVID-19 Social Distancing.

Area of Science:

• Psychology
• Human-Computer Interaction
• Public Health

Background:

• Widespread non-compliance with COVID-19 preventive measures necessitates novel intervention strategies.
• Hypocrisy induction theory offers a framework for understanding attitude and behavior change.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the efficacy of online chatbots in inducing hypocrisy and promoting adherence to social distancing guidelines.
• To explore the role of chatbot anthropomorphism in the effectiveness of hypocrisy induction.

Main Methods:

• An experiment was conducted involving participants interacting with online chatbots.
• Chatbots were programmed to remind participants of their past non-compliance with social distancing recommendations, inducing hypocrisy.
• The level of chatbot anthropomorphism (humanlike vs. machinelike) was manipulated.

Main Results:

• Inducing hypocrisy via chatbots led participants to feel guilty about violating social norms.
• Participants exposed to hypocrisy induction reported more favorable attitudes toward public health messaging and increased intentions to comply with social distancing.
• A humanlike chatbot was significantly more effective in inducing guilt and promoting compliance compared to a machinelike chatbot.

Conclusions:

• Online chatbots, particularly humanlike ones, can be a viable tool for public health interventions by leveraging hypocrisy induction.
• Tailoring chatbot design to enhance anthropomorphism may increase their persuasive power in encouraging adherence to health guidelines.