arXiv subjects

Stephan Stricker

Publications and source records attributed to Stephan Stricker.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

AI in Debt Collection: Estimating the Psychological Impact on Consumers

The present study investigates the psychological and behavioral implications of integrating AI into debt collection practices using data from eleven European countries. Drawing on a large-scale experimental design (n = 3514) comparing human versus AI-mediated communication, we examine effects on consumers' social preferences (fairness, trust, reciprocity, efficiency) and social emotions (stigma, empathy). Participants perceive human interactions as more fair and more likely to elicit reciprocity, while AI-mediated communication is viewed as more efficient; no differences emerge in trust. Human contact elicits greater empathy, but also stronger feelings of stigma. Exploratory analyses reveal notable variation between gender, age groups, and cultural contexts. In general, the findings suggest that AI-mediated communication can improve efficiency and reduce stigma without diminishing trust, but should be used carefully in situations that require high empathy or increased sensitivity to fairness. The study advances our understanding of how AI influences the psychological dynamics in sensitive financial interactions and informs the design of communication strategies that balance technological effectiveness with interpersonal awareness.

cs.CY↗

arXiv2023

Preferences and Attitudes towards Debt Collection: A Cross-Generational Investigation

Preliminary research indicated that an increasing number of young adults end up in debt collection. Yet, debt collection agencies (DCAs) are still lacking knowledge on how to approach these consumers. A large-scale mixed-methods survey of consumers in Germany (N = 996) was conducted to investigate preference shifts from traditional to digital payment, and communication channels; and attitude shifts towards financial institutions. Our results show that, indeed, younger consumers are more likely to prefer digital payment methods (e.g., Paypal, Apple Pay), while older consumers are more likely to prefer traditional payment methods such as manual transfer. In the case of communication channels, we found that older consumers were more likely to prefer letters than younger consumers. Additional factors that had an influence on payment and communication preferences include gender, income and living in an urban area. Finally, we observed attitude shifts of younger consumers by exhibiting more openness when talking about their debt than older consumers. In summary, our findings show that consumers' preferences are influenced by individual differences, specifically age, and we discuss how DCAs can leverage these insights to optimize their processes.

econ.GN↗

arXiv2021

Personalized Communication Strategies: Towards A New Debtor Typology Framework

Based on debt collection agency (PAIR Finance) data, we developed a novel debtor typology framework by expanding previous approaches to 4 behavioral dimensions. The 4 dimensions we identified were willingness to pay, ability to pay, financial organization, and rational behavior. Using these dimensions, debtors could be classified into 16 different typologies. We identified 5 main typologies, which account for 63% of the debtors in our data set. Further, we observed that each debtor typology reacted differently to the content and timing of reminder messages, allowing us to define an optimal debt collection strategy for each typology. For example, sending a reciprocity message at 8 p.m. in the evening is the most successful strategy to get a reaction from a debtor who is willing to pay their debt, able to pay their debt, chaotic in terms of their financial organization, and emotional when communicating and handling their finances. In sum, our findings suggest that each debtor type should be approached in a personalized way using different tonalities and timing schedules.

econ.GN↗