@article{CarolusWienrich2022,
  author    = {Carolus, Astrid and Wienrich, Carolin},
  title     = {"Imagine this smart speaker to have a body": An analysis of the external appearances and the characteristics that people associate with voice assistants},
  series = {Frontiers in Computer Science},
  volume    = {4},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Computer Science},
  issn      = {2624-9898},
  doi       = {10.3389/fcomp.2022.981435},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297175},
  year      = {2022},
  abstract  = {Introduction Modern digital devices, such as conversational agents, simulate human-human interactions to an increasing extent. However, their outward appearance remains distinctly technological. While research revealed that mental representations of technology shape users' expectations and experiences, research on technology sending ambiguous cues is rare. Methods To bridge this gap, this study analyzes drawings of the outward appearance participants associate with voice assistants (Amazon Echo or Google Home). Results Human beings and (humanoid) robots were the most frequent associations, which were rated to be rather trustworthy, conscientious, agreeable, and intelligent. Drawings of the Amazon Echos and Google Homes differed marginally, but "human," "robotic," and "other" associations differed with respect to the ascribed humanness, consciousness, intellect, affinity to technology, and innovation ability. Discussion This study aims to further elaborate on the rather unconscious cognitive and emotional processes elicited by technology and discusses the implications of this perspective for developers, users, and researchers.},
  language  = {en}
}
@article{CarolusWienrichToerkeetal.2021,
  author    = {Carolus, Astrid and Wienrich, Carolin and T{\"o}rke, Anna and Friedel, Tobias and Schwietering, Christian and Sperzel, Mareike},
  title     = {'Alexa, I feel for you!' Observers' empathetic reactions towards a conversational agent},
  series = {Frontiers in Computer Science},
  volume    = {3},
  journal   = {Frontiers in Computer Science},
  doi       = {10.3389/fcomp.2021.682982},
  url       = {http://nbn-resolving.de/urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258807},
  year      = {2021},
  abstract  = {Conversational agents and smart speakers have grown in popularity offering a variety of options for use, which are available through intuitive speech operation. In contrast to the standard dyad of a single user and a device, voice-controlled operations can be observed by further attendees resulting in new, more social usage scenarios. Referring to the concept of 'media equation' and to research on the idea of 'computers as social actors,' which describes the potential of technology to trigger emotional reactions in users, this paper asks for the capacity of smart speakers to elicit empathy in observers of interactions. In a 2 × 2 online experiment, 140 participants watched a video of a man talking to an Amazon Echo either rudely or neutrally (factor 1), addressing it as 'Alexa' or 'Computer' (factor 2). Controlling for participants' trait empathy, the rude treatment results in participants' significantly higher ratings of empathy with the device, compared to the neutral treatment. The form of address had no significant effect. Results were independent of the participants' gender and usage experience indicating a rather universal effect, which confirms the basic idea of the media equation. Implications for users, developers and researchers were discussed in the light of (future) omnipresent voice-based technology interaction scenarios.},
  language  = {en}
}