Research on virtual tour guide anthropomorphism based on the specificity of VR+tourism

Existing research grounded in uncanny valley theory consistently identifies a nonlinear relationship between virtual human anthropomorphism and user affinity. However, in VR+tourism, this study reveals a positive linear relationship between virtual tour guide anthropomorphism and tourist experience quality. This discrepancy arises because perceived eeriness of the uncanny valley is not significant in VR+tourism, but perceived coolness dominates as the mediator. Moreover, tourist type moderates both the main effect and mediating paths. Embodied cognition theory explains this divergence: in immersive VR+tourism, body‑environment interaction reconstructs tourists’ responses, weakening the perceived eeriness. These findings extend the uncanny valley theory’s applicability in VR+tourism.