Interview excerpt
| Main stimuli | Primary aspects | Interview excerpt |
|---|---|---|
| Symbolic stimuli | ||
| Monetization strategy | Forced advertising | “Forcing me to watch an ad for 3 min is absolutely a cue of an inauthentic app.” (I10) |
| Value of subscription plan | "An authentic app will not ask me to spend money on subscriptions.” (I20) | |
| Placement of subscription prompt | “[…] should not say I must top up to buy this package to get the advice.” (I21) | |
| Situational and cultural fit | Context aware | “Although the symptoms are the same, each country has different prevalent diseases. The consideration of the country’s context makes the app more authentic.” (I7) |
| Demographic representation | “So, if an AI can […] like a Northern person, that shows it genuinely cares.” (I11) | |
| Aspirational lifestyle integration | “A health app should integrate with users’ lifestyle devices, like smartwatches.” (I7) | |
| Moral commitment | Privacy disclosure | “If the app promises not to sell my data or leak it, then I’ll think it cares about me.” (I13) |
| Role boundary clarification | “It should authentically declare its role and responsibility (I28).” | |
| Inclusive utility | “That app helped blind people see what’s around them. That’s real authenticity – caring about the smallest human needs.” (I11) | |
| Recommendation precision | Symptom pattern recognition | “You can see that the sincere AI asks you a lot of questions about your health […] which are combined when it gives you recommendations.” (I17) |
| Response uniformity | “Authenticity could be assessed by the consistency of recommendations.” (I6) | |
| Explanatory depth | It should explain why it makes the recommendation in a transparent and authentic way. (I20) | |
| Natural stimuli | ||
| Service realism | Pleasing atmosphere | “To genuinely feel like a real health service, I think it needs certain color tones… and the sounds that help build a sense of familiarity” (I7) |
| Logical sequence | “The salesperson considers factors like skin tone, fashion style, even lipstick preferences. The same sequence will make the app authentic” (I7) | |
| Soothing interactions | Guided conversation flow | “The way it asks questions and guides me through an issue genuinely makes me feel cared for.” (I5) |
| Gentle communication tones | “The app’s approach is gentle and empathetic, making me feel comfortable, supported, and real.” (I5) | |
| Safe disclosure environment | Emotionally triggering prompts | “An authentic app is an app […] from someone close and familiar to me, allowing me to openly discuss my concerns.” (I21) |
| Cartooned virtual doctor | “When you talk to a real doctor, sometimes you hesitate to answer. But here […] I will not meet them. So, I feel more comfortable sharing.” (I21) | |
| Calm encouragement | “This app is authentic as it encourages me like you’re not alone.” (I22) | |
| Main stimuli | Primary aspects | Interview excerpt |
|---|---|---|
| Monetization strategy | Forced advertising | “Forcing me to watch an ad for 3 min is absolutely a cue of an inauthentic app.” (I10) |
| Value of subscription plan | "An authentic app will not ask me to spend money on subscriptions.” (I20) | |
| Placement of subscription prompt | “[…] should not say I must top up to buy this package to get the advice.” (I21) | |
| Situational and cultural fit | Context aware | “Although the symptoms are the same, each country has different prevalent diseases. The consideration of the country’s context makes the app more authentic.” (I7) |
| Demographic representation | “So, if an | |
| Aspirational lifestyle integration | “A health app should integrate with users’ lifestyle devices, like smartwatches.” (I7) | |
| Moral commitment | Privacy disclosure | “If the app promises not to sell my data or leak it, then I’ll think it cares about me.” (I13) |
| Role boundary clarification | “It should authentically declare its role and responsibility (I28).” | |
| Inclusive utility | “That app helped blind people see what’s around them. That’s real authenticity – caring about the smallest human needs.” (I11) | |
| Recommendation precision | Symptom pattern recognition | “You can see that the sincere |
| Response uniformity | “Authenticity could be assessed by the consistency of recommendations.” (I6) | |
| Explanatory depth | It should explain why it makes the recommendation in a transparent and authentic way. (I20) | |
| Service realism | Pleasing atmosphere | “To genuinely feel like a real health service, I think it needs certain color tones… and the sounds that help build a sense of familiarity” (I7) |
| Logical sequence | “The salesperson considers factors like skin tone, fashion style, even lipstick preferences. The same sequence will make the app authentic” (I7) | |
| Soothing interactions | Guided conversation flow | “The way it asks questions and guides me through an issue genuinely makes me feel cared for.” (I5) |
| Gentle communication tones | “The app’s approach is gentle and empathetic, making me feel comfortable, supported, and real.” (I5) | |
| Safe disclosure environment | Emotionally triggering prompts | “An authentic app is an app […] from someone close and familiar to me, allowing me to openly discuss my concerns.” (I21) |
| Cartooned virtual doctor | “When you talk to a real doctor, sometimes you hesitate to answer. But here […] I will not meet them. So, I feel more comfortable sharing.” (I21) | |
| Calm encouragement | “This app is authentic as it encourages me like you’re not alone.” (I22) | |
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