When the Interface Is a Face

TLDR

People behave differently when in the presence of others versus alone, and this effect extends to interfaces that incorporate human‑like qualities. The study aims to predict and interpret how human‑like interfaces affect user responses using theories of person perception, social facilitation, and self‑presentation. The authors employed these theories to design and analyze an experimental comparison between a talking‑face interface and a text‑display interface. In the experiment, participants responded differently to the talking‑face interface than to the text display, attributing personality traits, experiencing greater arousal, and presenting themselves more positively, suggesting that increasingly human‑like interfaces may alter users’ personas.

Abstract

Abstract People behave differently in the presence of other people than they do when they are alone. People also may behave differently when designers introduce more human-like qualities into computer interfaces. In an experimental study we demonstrate that people's responses to a talking-face interface differ from their responses to a text-display interface. They attribute some personality traits to it; they are more aroused by it; they present themselves in a more positive light. We use theories of person perception, social facilitation, and self-presentation to predict and interpret these results. We suggest that as computer interfaces become more "human-like," people who use those interfaces may change their own personas in response to them.