'Age Isn't Just a Number': Effects of Virtual Human Age and Gender on Persuasion, Social Presence and Influence in Interpersonal Social Encounters in VR

As virtual reality (VR) technology continues to gain traction as a powerful tool for persuasion and marketing, its application in immersive sales environments has become increasingly relevant. VR’s ability to simulate realistic interactions allows for novel approaches to influencing consumer behavior, particularly through the use of interactive Virtual Humans (VHs). In this study, we investigate the effects of user and virtual human age and gender on persuasion and social influence, via various social psychological factors such as brand attitude, interpersonal attraction, source credibility, and presence. In the process, we conducted a 3 (virtual agent age) × 2 (virtual agent gender) × 3 (module topic) multi-factorial design (N=45). The study included two agent gender conditions, namely gender-matched and gender-mismatched with the user, assigned in a between-subjects manner, and three agent age conditions, namely (1) young adult (20-39), (2) middle-aged adult (40-59), and (3) older adult (60-79). Our findings indicate that the age and gender of virtual humans significantly influence their persuasiveness and social impact, which varies based on the user’s own age and gender. Specifically, virtual humans of a different gender from the user may exhibit higher levels of persuasion and social influence. Furthermore, female and older users appear to be more susceptible to influence compared to male and younger users. Our findings provide novel, critical insights for designing more effective virtual sales strategies and tailoring persuasive technologies to diverse user profiles, thus filling a vital gap in understanding the interaction between user and agent characteristics in virtual environments.1