Psychological determinants of users’ adoption and word-of-mouth recommendations of smart voice assistants

Individuals are increasingly using Smart Voice Assistants (SVA) to derive functional, hedonic, and symbolic benefits. SVA adoption is in the nascent stage and we have little knowledge about what drives SVA usage. Following the ‘attitude shapes behavior’ approach, this study examines the role of hedonic and utilitarian attitudes on SVA usage and word-of-mouth (WOM) recommendations. The study also investigates five antecedents (playfulness, escapism, anthropomorphism, visual appeal, and social presence) to both attitudes. Through an online survey of 360 respondents, the study suggests that playfulness and escapism positively influence hedonic attitude. On the other hand, anthropomorphism, visual appeal, and social presence determine utilitarian attitude. Further, utilitarian attitude has a stronger impact (vs. hedonic attitude) on SVA usage and WOM recommendations. The findings reveal that individuals who perceive SVA as a symbol of high prestige (vs. low prestige) are less likely to relate playfulness to hedonic gratifications. In contrast, people attributing prestige to SVA are more likely to use it as an escape route from everyday life. These findings contribute to the growing literature on SVA adoption and offer insightful recommendations to various stakeholders to increase the likelihood of SVA adoption and generating favorable WOM recommendations.