Voice Assistants (VAs) can assist users in various everyday tasks, but many users are reluctant to rely on VAs for intricate tasks like online shopping. This study aims to examine whether the vocal characteristics of VAs can serve as an effective tool to persuade users and increase user engagement with VAs in online shopping. Prior studies have demonstrated that the perceived tone, age, and gender of a voice influence the perceived persuasiveness of the speaker in interpersonal interactions. Furthermore, persuasion in product communication has been shown to affect purchase decisions in online shopping. We investigate whether variations in a VA voice's perceived tone, age, and gender characteristics can persuade users, and ultimately affect their purchase decisions. Our experimental study showed that participants were more persuaded to make purchase decisions by VA voices having positive or neutral tones as well as middle-aged male or younger female voices. Our results suggest that VA designers should offer users the ability to easily customize VA voices with a range of tones, ages, and genders. This customization can enhance user comfort and enjoyment, potentially leading to higher engagement with VAs. Additionally, we discuss the boundaries of ethical persuasion, emphasizing the importance of safeguarding users' interests against unwarranted manipulation.

翻译：语音助手（VAs）可辅助用户完成各种日常任务，但许多用户不愿依赖VAs进行在线购物等复杂任务。本研究旨在探究VAs的语音特征能否作为有效工具以说服用户并提升其在在线购物中的参与度。已有研究表明，在人际互动中，语音的感知语气、年龄和性别会影响听者对说话者说服力的感知。此外，产品沟通中的说服力已被证实会影响在线购物中的购买决策。我们考察VA语音的感知语气、年龄与性别特征的变化能否说服用户，并最终影响其购买决策。实验研究表明，具有积极或中性语气，以及中年男性或年轻女性特征的VA语音更能说服参与者做出购买决策。研究结果表明，VA设计者应为用户提供轻松定制不同语气、年龄和性别语音的能力。这种定制化可增强用户的舒适感与愉悦度，进而可能提升对VAs的参与度。此外，我们讨论了伦理说服的边界，强调了保障用户利益免受不当操纵的重要性。