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Our work focuses on synthesized speech as a persuasive communication tool in the e-commerce and online recommendations context. Persuasion is one of the distinctive elements of human communication and it is present also when computers and the Internet mediate individuals’ relations. To understand the mechanisms of online persuasion, we look at a specific type of content: online reviews. The current standard for delivering them to customers is the written word, sometimes accompanied by images. However, their persuasive potential may increase when an online review system uses synthesized speech to convey the content. We first examine how the quality of the message arguments affects the persuasiveness of online recommendations. Second, we investigate whether synthesized speech as a method of online reviews delivery moderates the relationship between online content and individual’s behavior.

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Tell Me What to Do! Computer-Synthesized Speech as a Persuasive Technology in the Context of Online Reviews.

Our work focuses on synthesized speech as a persuasive communication tool in the e-commerce and online recommendations context. Persuasion is one of the distinctive elements of human communication and it is present also when computers and the Internet mediate individuals’ relations. To understand the mechanisms of online persuasion, we look at a specific type of content: online reviews. The current standard for delivering them to customers is the written word, sometimes accompanied by images. However, their persuasive potential may increase when an online review system uses synthesized speech to convey the content. We first examine how the quality of the message arguments affects the persuasiveness of online recommendations. Second, we investigate whether synthesized speech as a method of online reviews delivery moderates the relationship between online content and individual’s behavior.