TY - GEN
T1 - Evaluating affective feedback of the 3D agent Max in a competitive cards game
AU - Becker, Christian
AU - Prendinger, Helmut
AU - Ishizuka, Mitsuru
AU - Wachsmuth, Ipke
PY - 2005
Y1 - 2005
N2 - Within the field of Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs), the simulation of emotions has been suggested as a means to enhance the believability of ECAs and also to effectively contribute to the goal of more intuitive human-computer interfaces. Although various emotion models have been proposed, results demonstrating the appropriateness of displaying particular emotions within ECA applications are scarce or even inconsistent. Worse, questionnaire methods often seem insufficient to evaluate the impact of emotions expressed by ECAs on users. Therefore we propose to analyze non-conscious physiological feedback (bio-signals) of users within a clearly arranged dynamic interaction scenario where various emotional reactions are likely to be evoked. In addition to its diagnostic purpose, physiological user Information is also analyzed online to trigger empathic reactions of the ECA during game play, thus increasing the level of social engagement. To evaluate the appropriateness of different types of affective and empathic feedback, we implemented a cards game called Skip-Bo, where the user plays against an expressive 3D humanoid agent called Max, which was designed at the University of Bielefeld [6] and is based on the emotion simulation system of [2]. Work performed at the University of Tokyo and NII provided a real-time system for empathic (agent) feedback that allows one to derive user emotions from skin conductance and electromyography [13]. The findings of our study indicate that within a competitive gaming scenario, the absence of negative agent emotions is conceived as stressinducing and irritating, and that the integration of empathie feedback supports the acceptance of Max as a co-equal humanoid opponent.
AB - Within the field of Embodied Conversational Agents (ECAs), the simulation of emotions has been suggested as a means to enhance the believability of ECAs and also to effectively contribute to the goal of more intuitive human-computer interfaces. Although various emotion models have been proposed, results demonstrating the appropriateness of displaying particular emotions within ECA applications are scarce or even inconsistent. Worse, questionnaire methods often seem insufficient to evaluate the impact of emotions expressed by ECAs on users. Therefore we propose to analyze non-conscious physiological feedback (bio-signals) of users within a clearly arranged dynamic interaction scenario where various emotional reactions are likely to be evoked. In addition to its diagnostic purpose, physiological user Information is also analyzed online to trigger empathic reactions of the ECA during game play, thus increasing the level of social engagement. To evaluate the appropriateness of different types of affective and empathic feedback, we implemented a cards game called Skip-Bo, where the user plays against an expressive 3D humanoid agent called Max, which was designed at the University of Bielefeld [6] and is based on the emotion simulation system of [2]. Work performed at the University of Tokyo and NII provided a real-time system for empathic (agent) feedback that allows one to derive user emotions from skin conductance and electromyography [13]. The findings of our study indicate that within a competitive gaming scenario, the absence of negative agent emotions is conceived as stressinducing and irritating, and that the integration of empathie feedback supports the acceptance of Max as a co-equal humanoid opponent.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=29144510944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=29144510944&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1007/11573548_60
DO - 10.1007/11573548_60
M3 - Conference contribution
AN - SCOPUS:29144510944
SN - 3540296212
SN - 9783540296218
VL - 3784 LNCS
T3 - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
SP - 466
EP - 473
BT - Lecture Notes in Computer Science (including subseries Lecture Notes in Artificial Intelligence and Lecture Notes in Bioinformatics)
T2 - 1st International Conference on ffective Computing and Intelligent Interaction, ACII 2005
Y2 - 22 October 2005 through 24 October 2005
ER -