How Attachment Style Influences the Para-friendship between Users and Intelligent Personal Assistants

With the attention of Internet enterprises to smart life in recent years, intelligent personal assistant has become the most common AI technology in People's Daily life. Current researches explored users' continuous use intention from the perspective of functions, technical performance and value of IPAs. However, the establishment and development of emotional relationship between users and IPAs has been neglected. Based on attachment theory and para-social relationship theory, this study explored how users' attachment styles affect their para-friendship with IPAs and the brand loyalty. In the research method, this study focused on experienced IPAs user, and tested the hypothesized model by the structural equation mode. The results of SEM showed that user's attachment avoidance negatively affects the para-friendship with IPAs, and this effect was partially mediated by perceived task attraction, perceived social attraction, and perceived privacy risk; the negative effect of attachment anxiety on para-friendship were fully mediated by perceived social attraction and perceived privacy risk. It is necessary to pay more attention to the emotional function of IPAs as well as users’ privacy protection.