IRMA-International.org: Creator of Knowledge
Information Resources Management Association
Advancing the Concepts & Practices of Information Resources Management in Modern Organizations

Can Negotiators Convey a Tough Impression Through Non-Verbal Hints?: The Psychological Effects of Implicit Power in Human-Computer Negotiations

Can Negotiators Convey a Tough Impression Through Non-Verbal Hints?: The Psychological Effects of Implicit Power in Human-Computer Negotiations
View Sample PDF
Author(s): Yushan Liu (University of Delaware, USA), Rustam Vahidov (Concordia University, Canada)and Raafat Saade (Beijing Institute of Technology, China)
Copyright: 2026
Volume: 22
Issue: 1
Pages: 19
Source title: International Journal of Technology and Human Interaction (IJTHI)
Editor(s)-in-Chief: Anabela Mesquita (ISCAP/IPP and Algoritmi Centre, University of Minho, Portugal)and Chia-Wen Tsai (Ming Chuan University, Taiwan)
DOI: 10.4018/IJTHI.410592

Purchase


Abstract

As intelligent agents become increasingly prevalent on online platforms, understanding how users perceive and respond to agent behavior is critical for effective system design. Although prior research has examined negotiation power primarily through explicit communication, comparatively little attention has been given to implicit power cues embedded in interaction design. This study introduces implicit power as a conceptual framework to explain how users infer power from an agent's behavior and appearance during negotiation. Agent anchors, concession strategies, avatar gender, and facial expressions are conceptualized as implicit power signals. Using a controlled human–agent negotiation experiment, the study empirically validates a structural model that integrates agent design cues with human individual differences. The findings demonstrate that implicit power significantly shapes negotiation outcomes and that the proposed model explains a substantial proportion of variance in user responses. This study provides both theoretical and practical implications for the design of intelligent interactive systems.

Related Content

Wanmo Koo, Archana Kumar. © 2026. 20 pages.
Hung Sheng Chang. © 2026. 13 pages.
Tengfei Liu, Zhongzhu Chu, Yuanyuan Guo, Wei Cui. © 2026. 21 pages.
Yushan Liu, Rustam Vahidov, Raafat Saade. © 2026. 19 pages.
Fabrice-Gilles Ndombi Avouba, Alioune Badara Seck, Jacques Hakizimana, Facinet Conté. © 2026. 19 pages.
Eiman Tamah Al-Shammari. © 2025. 25 pages.
Guihua Zhang, Jafar Ali, Dae Wan Kim, Sean Kim, Jongheon Kim. © 2025. 23 pages.
Body Bottom