Effects of Influencer Type on User Experience across Age Groups in Social Network Service Context

Objective: The present study aims to understand the user experience by age group according to the type of influencer entity and based on this, discuss the design factors of virtual humans compared to real humans.<br/>Background: User interest in virtual humans is increasing and research is actively underway, but research is focused on specific fields, age, or gender. Therefore, research on VI is needed in more diverse areas than before.<br/>Method: To achieve the research purpose, we conducted an experiment on SNS exploration and content viewing of two HIs and two Vis based on a mixed factorial design. We collected user experience evaluation data by age group through a questionnaire composed of a 7-point Likert scale, followed by in-depth interviews to collect the opinions of the subjects.<br/>Results: Users responded more favorably to HI. And Younger subjects responded most negatively to VI compared to other age groups. Older people over 50 years old were more favorable towards HI and VI, but expressed disappointment over the lack of common ground.<br/>Conclusion: When designing a virtual human, you should not only consider making it similar to a real human, but also design it by considering elements that can empathize with users and make them feel human.<br/>Application: This study can provide guidelines for design factors of virtual humans based on the results of user experience evaluation by age group.