How emotional expression in human-like virtual influencers drives user engagement: empathy model and its antecedents

Rongqin Liu^1*Shaojian Liu²

• ¹School of China-ASEAN Institute of Statistics, Guangxi University of Finance and Economics, Nanning, China
• ²China Energy Engineering Group Guangxi Electric Power Design Institute CO., LTD, Nanning, China

This study builds upon the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence and influencer marketing to examine the impact of emotional expressions by human-like virtual influencers on user engagement, utilizing the empathy model and its antecedents. It investigates how users’ perceptions (i.e., perceived attractiveness, authenticity, escapism, and presence) affect both cognitive and affective empathy, which, in turn, influence user engagement. A within-subjects design was employed with 118 participants exposed to six distinct emotional stimuli. The findings reveal significant linear effects of perceived authenticity and presence on both cognitive and affective empathy. Moreover, perceived attractiveness and escapism were found to jointly enhance users’ cognitive and affective empathy. The study also uncovers mediating effects of cognitive and affective empathy on user engagement. Subgroup analysis highlights the considerable impact of human-like virtual influencers’ emotional expressions, particularly positive emotions, on user perceptions and empathy. Conversely, extreme negative emotions, such as anger, were found to reduce empathy through the perception of escapism. These results contribute to a deeper understanding of the mechanisms driving user engagement with human-like virtual influencers and suggest strategies for enhancing engagement through emotional expression. The study provides valuable insights for the design and implementation of virtual influencers in marketing strategies, emphasizing the critical role of emotional expression in fostering meaningful user connections.