What question did this study set out to answer?

This study aims to understand how anthropomorphic and system features influence user trust in AI-chatbots across different cultures.

June 11, 2026

Bridging the trust gap: anthropomorphism, chatbot features, and system features in AI-chatbot adoption across cultures

Key Points

This study aims to understand how anthropomorphic and system features influence user trust in AI-chatbots across different cultures.
Meta-analysis of 40 English-language publications with correlation coefficients and sample sizes
Identification of moderating variables: Eastern/Western cultures, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance
Analysis of the effects of human-like features and system features on trust and anthropomorphism
Perceived usefulness significantly enhances trust, especially in Western cultures
Social presence has a stronger impact on anthropomorphism in Western contexts
In Eastern cultures, anthropomorphism greatly influences trust, while higher individualism weakens this relationship

Abstract

As artificial intelligence (AI)-chatbots mimic human-like communication, they are able to reshape customer-business interactions. Due to a lack of user trust, their adoption falls below expectations. This study encompasses the dual-pathway model of trust and discovers how human-like features (empathetic response, intelligence, social presence, interactivity) impact users’ trust via anthropomorphic perceptions (affective route) and how system features (usefulness, service quality, ease of use) contribute to trust via the cognitive route. Overall, forty English-language publications reporting correlation coefficients (or convertible statistics) and sample sizes published till December 2024 were identified from Scopus, EBSCO, and ProQuest. Their meta-analysis confirms the positive effects of system features on trust and chatbot features on anthropomorphism, which further enhances trust. Prior studies have not addressed cultural heterogeneity in AI-chatbot research due to limited geographical scope. This study introduces Eastern/Western cultures, individualism, and uncertainty avoidance as the moderating variables. Results reveal the stronger effect of perceived usefulness on trust and social presence on anthropomorphism in Western cultures. Also, anthropomorphism has a greater influence on trust in Eastern cultures. The positive relationship between anthropomorphism and trust is weakened as individualism increases. Also, as uncertainty avoidance increases, the positive relationship between perceived ease of use and trust is strengthened.

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