Evaluating 3D Embodied Conversational Agents In Contrasting VRML Retail Applications

Abstract

This paper discusses the results of an empirical evaluation assessing 3D male and female embodied conversational agents that were formally dressed and casually dressed in three interactive VRML retail environments ‐ a cinema box-office, a travel agency and a bank. Participants completed tasks in each application by conversing with the agents after which they completed questionnaires regarding their attitude toward the retail applications, the agent’s behaviour in the retail application and the agent’s voice, personality, trustworthiness and appearance. Results showed that participants enjoyed speaking to the agents in all three applications. The agents were rated similarly in all three applications and the claim that embodied agents have a role to play as assistants in retail applications is supported. However, qualitative results suggested that participants found it difficult to trust the agents in the banking application. Participants also expressed a desire for agents in the cinema application to be casually dressed and those agents in the banking application to be formally dressed.