Anthropomorphism

Abstract
Anthropomorphism is a process of imbuing nonhuman objects or agents with humanlike characteristics, motivations, intentions, and emotions. In this seminar, Prof. Sara Kim, will discuss the anthropomorphic effect and its impacts that span across domains.  Through a program of her on-going projects and a series of her published papers (see references below), she will provide an elaborative overview of the influence of anthropomorphism in various marketing and consumer contexts.

  • Jacob C. Lee, Sara Kim, and Phyllis Xue Wang, “Anthropomorphizing Makes Material Goods as Happiness-inducing as Experiences,” Marketing Letters, 33 (1), 61-73.
  • Li, Xueni (Shirley), Kimmy Wa Chan, and Sara Kim (2019), “Service with Emotions: How Customers Interpret Employee Use of Emoticons in Online Service Encounters,” Journal of Consumer Research, 45 (5), 973–987.
  • Zhou, Xinyue, Sara Kim, and Lili Wang (2019), “Money Helps When Money Feels: Money Anthropomorphism Increases Charitable Giving,” Journal of Consumer Research, 45 (5), 953–972.
  • Kim, Sara, Ke Zhang, and Daeun Park (2018), “Don’t Want to Look Dumb? The Role of Theories of Intelligence and Humanlike Features in Online Help-Seeking,” Psychological Science, 29 (2), 171-180. *Leading article
  • Kim, Sara, Rocky Peng Chen, and Ke Zhang (2016), “Anthropomorphized Helpers Undermine Autonomy and Enjoyment in Computer Games,” Journal of Consumer Research, 43 (2), 282-302