Contact

Email: stefan.rose@wiso.uni-koeln.de
Building: 411 (Pohligstraße 1)

Profile

Stefan is a post-doctoral researcher at the Chair of Business Analytics (Prof. Markus Weinmann). His academic path, rooted in psychology, has been characterized by a dedicated exploration of consumer behavior. Stefan studied Psychology at Maastricht University, after which he gained experience in the private sector as a market researcher. He then pursued his doctoral studies, receiving his PhD (Dr. rer. pol.) from RWTH Aachen University's Chair of Marketing. His doctoral research was recognized with the Borchers Badge, which honors outstanding doctoral students at RWTH Aachen University.

Following his PhD, Stefan served as a researcher Professor in the marketing department at Bern University of Applied Sciences. Throughout his career, Stefan has maintained a profoundly transdisciplinary research philosophy, driven by the ambition to infuse methodological and theoretical expertise into interdisciplinary projects that deliver value to theory, practice, and our understanding of key societal topics. In this pursuit, he also places high emphasis on the development of collaborations with stakeholders beyond academia.

Stefan's current research endeavors focus on human-AI interaction. His work centers around experimental research pertaining to the "computers are social actors" paradigm. Specifically, this involves delving into the factors that influence the emergence of a perceived social presence of AI-based artifacts and identifying the factors shaping user-side trust in AI-based technologies, thereby encompassing both human-like and system-related dimensions of trust.

Stefan's focal research agenda investigates how humans form interpersonal relationships with artificial intelligence based technological artifacts, such as conversational agents, and how these relationships affect user behavior. Another central pillar of his planned research trajectory is the investigation of adverse effects of AI usage on users and society. In this regard, he is particularly interested in studying the development and consequences of parasocial relationships between empathetic AI applications (e.g., social companions and emotion-aware chatbots and robots) and their users.

Looking ahead, Stefan aims to contribute to the development of an integrative theory of human-AI relationship development, which is currently missing in the field. The implications of such research include guidelines for AI designers and policymakers to minimize potential negative outcomes of human-AI relationships, as well as regulations to protect vulnerable populations (e.g., teenagers, mental health patients, or users with disabilities) in their interactions with AI.

Through his research, Stefan strives  to contribute to the responsible development and deployment of AI technologies in society, bridging the gap between technological advancement and human well-being.

His teaching philosophy centers on creating an immersive and experiential learning environment. He believes in supplementing theoretical concepts with exercises, facilitating discussions around original research papers, and fostering collaborative learning through group projects. Stefan's dedication to innovative and effective education was recognized when he received the Credit Suisse Foundation Best Teaching Award in 2023.

• Raff, S., Rose, S., & Huynh, T. (2024). Perceived creepiness in response to smart home assistants: A multi-method study. International Journal of Information Management, 74, 102720.
• Hopp, C., Wentzel, D., & Rose, S. (2023). Chief executive officers' appearance predicts company performance, or does it? A replication study and extension focusing on CEO successions. The Leadership Quarterly, 34(4), 101437.
• Tereschenko, O., Raff, S., Rose, S., & Wentzel, D. (2022, December). Are You Trying to Be Funny? The Impact of Affiliative Humor of Smart Home Technologies on Human-Like Trust. In ICIS.
• Rose, S., Wentzel, D., Hopp, C., & Kaminski, J. (2021). Launching for success: The effects of psychological distance and mental simulation on funding decisions and crowdfunding performance. Journal of Business Venturing, 36(6), 106021.

For more publications, please visit his Google Scholar