Building Trust Through Voice: How Vocal Tone Impacts User Perception of Attractiveness of Voice Assistants

TL;DR

This study investigates how the vocal tone of voice assistants influences user perceptions of attractiveness and trustworthiness, demonstrating that positive or neutral tones enhance user trust and attraction towards VAs for complex tasks.

Contribution

The paper reveals that vocal tone significantly affects user perceptions of trustworthiness and attractiveness in voice assistants, highlighting the importance of voice design.

Findings

Vocal tone impacts perceived attractiveness and trustworthiness.

Positive or neutral tones increase user trust.

Voice design can enhance VA trustworthiness.

Abstract

Voice Assistants (VAs) are popular for simple tasks, but users are often hesitant to use them for complex activities like online shopping. We explored whether the vocal characteristics like the VA's vocal tone, can make VAs perceived as more attractive and trustworthy to users for complex tasks. Our findings show that the tone of the VA voice significantly impacts its perceived attractiveness and trustworthiness. Participants in our experiment were more likely to be attracted to VAs with positive or neutral tones and ultimately trusted the VAs they found more attractive. We conclude that VA's perceived trustworthiness can be enhanced through thoughtful voice design, incorporating a variety of vocal tones.