Examining Compliance Strategies in the Metaverse: A Study on How Legitimization and Victim Identification Impact Communication

The direct solicitation or compliance-gaining techniques in the donation context have been undervalued despite their persuasive power, as charitable organizations tend to favor mass communication campaigns over face-to-face solicitations due to cost and efficiency concerns (Arpaci et al., 2022). While direct solicitations are acknowledged to be effective, constraints like time, space, and labor have hindered their widespread adoption, particularly techniques like the legitimization of paltry favors (LPF) that are most effective in face-to-face interactions (Andrews et al., 2008). However, the emergence of virtual agents and the metaverse environment, a digital platform for virtual interaction (Mian et al., 2022), has opened new opportunities for charities to leverage direct solicitation strategies. Leading charities like Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity and WaterAid are already transitioning to the metaverse, attracting significant funding from global donors and paving the way for immersive online fundraising experiences (France, 2023).

This study focuses on LPF, a compliance-gaining technique that legitimizes small donations to make giving more accessible and appealing (e.g., “Even a penny will help!”; Cialdini and Schroeder, 1976). Research has shown that the effectiveness of LPF relies on face-to-face interactions, emphasizing the importance of personal dialogue in fundraising even in the era of advanced communication technology (Andrews et al., 2008; DeJong and Oopik, 1992; Dolinski et al., 2005). With the advent of artificial intelligence (AI) and virtual spaces, the role of AI agents in social interactions has been both anticipated and questioned. Studies suggest that virtual agents can successfully simulate social interactions and elicit positive outcomes like donation willingness and compliance intention without the need for human-to-human contact (Lee et al., 2023a; Namkoong et al., 2023; Nass and Moon, 2000; Moon, 2000; Park et al., 2023a; Park et al., 2023b; Park et al., 2023c; Reeves and Nass, 1996). However, some researchers remain skeptical about the effectiveness of artificial social intelligence and advocate for further exploration of AI’s role in persuasion and compliance-gaining (Go and Sundar, 2019; Mori et al., 2012; Lee et al., 2023b; Lee et al., 2024; Park et al., 2023d).

To address these issues, this study proposes to investigate the psychological mechanisms behind the effects of AI fundraisers on willingness to donate by examining the similarities and differences between LPF in human-human interactions and human-AI interactions in the metaverse. Building upon existing theories and concepts in compliance-gaining and self-presentation, this study suggests a moderated parallel mediation model with self-image concern and guilt as parallel mediators (Andrews et al., 2008; Bolkan and Rains, 2017; Cialdini and Schroeder, 1976). Additionally, the study explores the moderating role of victim identification based on the identifiable victim effect (IVE), arguing that presenting a single identified victim with personal details elicits stronger emotional responses and aid compared to statistical victim descriptions (Lee and Feeley, 2018).

To test the proposed model, four metaverse interactions were developed (LPF: absent vs. present × IVE: statistical vs. identified). The study’s findings offer theoretical insights into the applicability of LPF in the metaverse, the interaction between LPF and IVE, the role of parallel mediators, suggestions for metaverse environment design, and an alternative to costly and limited face-to-face interactions with human fundraisers.