User interactions with an affective nutritional coach

摘要

This paper investigates how users respond to emotional expressions displayed by an embodied agent. In a between-subjects experiment (N = 50) an emotionally expressive agent (simulating the role of a nutri tional coach) was perceived as significantly more likeable and caring than an unemotional version. Feed back from participants also revealed detailed insights into their perceptions of the agents and highlighted a strong preference for the emotionally expressive version. Design implications for embodied agents are discussed and future research areas identified.