【论文信息】

HuangJY,LiaoJC. The more, the worse? Exploring the negative influence of robot replicates on human-robot rapport in the tourism and hospitality sector[J].Journal of Hospitality Marketing & Management.2026,1–25.https://doi.org/10.1080/19368623.2026.2613799.

【作者信息】

第一作者：黄靖雅，博士，讲师，研究方向：消费者行为

通讯作者：廖建财，博士，助理教授，研究方向：消费者行为

【基金支持】

重庆市社会科学规划基金（2025BS065）；重庆市教育委员会科学技术研究项目（KJQN202400848）；437bwin必赢国际高层次人才科研启动项目（2455018）。

【论文摘要】

The growing use of service robots in hospitality raises questions abouthow design affects consumer perceptions. This research examines theimpact of robot replicates – multiple identical robots – on human-robotrapport. Across four experimental studies in scenario-based andfield contexts, we test social presence as the underlying mechanismand identify robot variety and service context as moderators. Study 1shows that replicates (vs. an individual robot) reduce rapport. Study 2replicates this finding and demonstrates that diminished perceptionsof social presence mediate the effect. Studies 3a and 3b reveal thatrobot variety mitigates the negative impact of replication. Study 4shows that the effect occurs in hedonic but not utilitarian contexts.Together, the findings extend human–robot interaction literature byintroducing replication and variety as key design factors and highlightingcontextual contingencies. The research also provides guidancefor hospitality managers on how to deploy robots strategicallyto enhance consumer experience.