Controlled experiment examines anthropomorphism's effect on elderly users’ navigation efficiency and satisfaction.
This study examines the impact of varying levels of anthropomorphism in artificial intelligence (AI) navigation systems on elderly users’ navigation efficiency, trust, satisfaction, and cognitive load. Four system versions were developed to reflect ascending degrees of anthropomorphism: a basic voice-only interface, a low-level system with emotional tone modulation, a medium-level system incorporating visual avatars and personalized cues, and a high-level system featuring realistic voice, dynamic visuals, and empathetic interaction. A controlled experiment involving navigation tasks of varying complexity revealed that systems with higher anthropomorphic features significantly improved user trust, satisfaction, and performance, while effectively reducing cognitive and psychological burden. In contrast, systems with minimal anthropomorphism proved less effective, particularly under complex task conditions. These findings underscore the value of context-sensitive, user-adaptive anthropomorphic design in enhancing AI navigation experiences for elderly users.
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Li et al. (2025) studied this question.
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