How do people react to gender-ambiguous voices in voice assistants, and what drives these reactions? This research investigates the impact of gender-ambiguous voices on consumer evaluations of products, finding that they often lead to negative reactions. Through five preregistered studies, the research explores the psychological mechanisms underlying these responses and identifies potential strategies to mitigate them. The methodology involves conducting several preregistered studies with a total of 3,684 adult participants. Participants rated products described by narrators with gender-ambiguous voices and compared these ratings to those of products described by clearly male or female narrators. The voices that were gender-ambiguous created a feeling of unease, or social disfluency, that affected evaluations of the products being described. The findings reveal that gender-ambiguous voices elicit negative reactions due to low familiarity, creating a sense of social disfluency. However, increased exposure can overcome these initial negative responses. This study has implications for the design of voice assistants and highlights the importance of considering user familiarity and comfort when incorporating diverse voices.
Published in Psychological Science, this study aligns with the journal's focus on human behavior and cognition. By investigating the psychological impact of gender-ambiguous voices, the research contributes to the understanding of social perception and bias. The findings enhance the journal's content on the role of cognitive processes in shaping attitudes and behaviors in response to social cues.