Effort and Multidimensional Ability in Robot Services: How Human-Like Movement Increases Perceived Product Quality

This research systematically investigates the roles of effort and ability exhibited by robots during service encounters. Although both are essential to successful service delivery, effort has traditionally been regarded as a uniquely human attribute, and robot ability has often been treated as a single construct. To address this limitation, the current research conceptualizes ability as a multidimensional construct comprising absolute and relative abilities, which may operate through distinct evaluative mechanisms. Across two studies, the findings show that human-like movement serves as a behavioral cue that simultaneously evokes perceptions of effort as well as absolute and relative abilities. Importantly, even for non-humanoid robots lacking human appearance, movement patterns resembling human actions during task execution can elicit inferences about effort and ability. These perceptions increase perceived product quality, such as the expected taste of coffee prepared by a robot server, with two ability types playing distinct roles depending on prior experience.