Abstract:

This article investigated the relationship between loneliness and anthropomorphic products. We confirmed that high lonely people would like to seek for social relationship. What’s more, they may try to compensate by creating a sense of connection with nonhuman products so they will prefer anthropomorphic products. Further, we demonstrated that information framework can moderate this effect. High lonely consumer would increase their preference to anthropomorphic product under promotion-focus information, whereas they would decrease their preference to anthropomorphic product under prevention-focus information. These effects don’t exist in low lonely consumer. At the same time, we demonstrate that the effect is mediated by perceived social connection.

Key words: loneliness, anthropomorphism, regulatory focus, perceived social connection