Human-Computer Interaction
agent vs no agent
agent more entertaining
claims to humanity (using "I" reference)
evoked negative reactions when delivered with synthetic voice, as compared with human voice
emotional feedback
facial displays that reference a particular emotion: happiness, puzzlement, etc.
interactivity as medium feature
focusing on number of modalities for user interaction available on the interface
cognitive effects
greater learning = more memorable
research on structural features of user interfaces
how modality and interactivity influence individuals' cognitive, affective, and behavioural reactions
computer's personality
inferred from verbal or para-verbal cues in the interface users respond more positively to computers whose personalities match their own - dominant users prefer confidence and assertiveness - same for extro and intro
interactivity as message feature
information organization on interface leading to contingent exchange of messages between user and system
anthropomorphising computers
innate tendency especially reactive to interface features that invite anthropomorphism -> heightened expectations of likeness to H2H interactions, letting it influence their perceptions and behaviors
interactivity as process
interactions between humans via email
HCI vs H2H
interview by computer vs human - evaluation same but nonverbal behaviors (smiling) were human-biased
Human-computer interaction (HCI)
investigates how people perceive and think about computer-based technologies, what human constraints affect human-machine interactions, what factors improve usability of computer systems
variable-centered approach
investigating the role of specific attributes across technologies component attributes rather than a whole package (object-centered)
linear vs nonlinear site designs
linear promoted factual learning nonlinear led to better structuring of acquired info (like mindmap)
gender stereotyping of the computer
male-voiced computers rated as more proficient in technical subjects female-voiced subjects more proficient in emotional subjects such as love and relationships
contingent interactivity
message exchange being threaded, in forums
amount of interactivity
moderate = most positive assessments of content high = high engagement, forcing central processing and hence close scrutiny of content? too much = distraction, disorientation, cognitive overload
mechanomorphic interface
more suitable for socially sensitive topics
5 defining attributes of the internet
multimedia, hypertextuality, packet switching, synchronicity, interactivity
providing direct feedback about computer's performance
participants provided more positive evaluations when computer asked about its own performance; participants less subject to politeness norm when asked by other computers, giving less positive comments
flattery
participants rated the computer and their own performance more positively when the computer produced praise
reciprocity
participants spent more time to "help" the computer after it provided them with useful info
honesty
participants' responses were more intimate on depth and breadth when computer provided some info about its technical capabilities (self-disclosure)
immersive virtual reality with display of realistic gaze
people increased interpersonal distance to maintain an optimal level of immediacy
CAS: computer as source
people respond socially to the technology itself; apply same social heuristics as they do in H2H interaction
strength in numbers
people who heard multiple synthetic voices reading book reviews were more persuaded than those who heard a single synthetic voice reading all 5 reviews
provision of envelope feedback
positive evaluations, fewer utterances to complete task (efficient communication)
tailored content or sense of agency?
power users rated content more positively in the customization condition (user changes specifications) non-power users gave higher ratings in the personalization condition (site tailoring to user)
study of the tendency to anthropomorphise computers
predicted students' level of loyalty to particular computer terminals in a lab
envelope feedback
related to process of conversation: nods, gaze, manual beat gesture, head movements
modality-agency-interactivity-navigability (MAIN) model
seeks to specify how a surface or design aspect pertaining to MAIN leads to users' positive or negative evaluations process interactivity affordances heuristically, identify specific cues
user perceptions of interactivity
significantly positively affected by technological affordances; induces sense of telepresence
interactivity as product
site features such as click polls
computer as proxy
suggests that users might be carrying on a parasocial interaction with the programmer
use
users focus more on gratifications offered by the media as a whole; fulfill media-related need
CAM: computer as medium
users' social responses are not directed toward the technology but are affected by it
asocial nature of interaction
"mindlessness" gender stereotyping of computer occurs only when participants were cognitively busy with a secondary task
drawback of human-like agents
- create unrealistic expectations about the system's capacity - mismatch between appearance and behaviour might result in less-than-optimal user experience - increased social presence = users less willing to perform embarrassing acts (impression management)
partnership in HRI
appearance + status affect working relationships participants retained more responsibility when working with a machine-like robot than with a humanoid one, esp. if machine is subordinate robot's ability to learn new behaviours over time (like humans) = more positive perceptions + formation of stronger bond
drawback of talking face
attracts attention but hinders task performance
people do differentiate between interacting with and via computer technologies
but in the presence of social cues, they often fail to suppress well-rehearsed social reactions toward the machine
robots cannot serve as perfect human surrogates
but people tend to ascribe animacy and intentionality to them bc they are mobile and sort of autonomous = prompts social responses
functional interactivity
calling up various functions on a site, such as audio downloads
CAM model
computer as a conduit of content that human users actively use communicating with others via computer + obtaining content via the computer
2 distinct lines of HCI research
computer as source computer as interactive medium
multimedia
computers communicate in a variety of different modalities *presence* our senses are the channels to our minds; vividness of media conceptualised in terms of sensory breadth and sensory depth
HCI researchers
consider interaction between person and computer as a sort of conversation
interactivity as source feature
degree to which interface allows the user to choose the source of info
interactivity
dialogue, control, choice, responsiveness, two-way communication, real-time participation, level of user activity, user involvement, speed, mapping, synchronicity, contingency, content modifiability, etc.
research on source characteristics
effects of human-like attributes of computer systems such as: personality gender group membership
study of how the extent to which an interface resembles a human affects user responses
talking face: greater arousal and stronger social desirability bias (bc reminded participants of real human being) = more positive social interactions, esp. in terms of subjective responses empirical evidence mixed some preferred text-only interface
Computers Are Social Actors
tested the applicability of various interpersonal social rules in HCI
voice characteristics as mark of individual identity
the voice of the computer acts as the psychological source in HCI
management information systems (MIS)
treats technology as a tool to accomplish specific task goals and stresses organisational implications of various computer applications
credibility
use of seals and ratings on sites to convey relevant experience and trustworthiness of a site