TY - JOUR A1 - Carolus, Astrid A1 - Wienrich, Carolin T1 - “Imagine this smart speaker to have a body”: An analysis of the external appearances and the characteristics that people associate with voice assistants JF - Frontiers in Computer Science N2 - 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. KW - media equation KW - conversational agents KW - smart speakers KW - visualization of technology KW - embodiment Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297175 SN - 2624-9898 VL - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Carolus, Astrid A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Törke, Anna A1 - Friedel, Tobias A1 - Schwietering, Christian A1 - Sperzel, Mareike T1 - ‘Alexa, I feel for you!’ Observers’ empathetic reactions towards a conversational agent JF - Frontiers in Computer Science N2 - 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. KW - conversational agent KW - empathy KW - smart speaker KW - media equation KW - computers as social actors KW - human-computer interaction Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-258807 VL - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Döllinger, Nina A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Latoschik, Marc Erich T1 - Challenges and opportunities of immersive technologies for mindfulness meditation: a systematic review JF - Frontiers in Virtual Reality N2 - Mindfulness is considered an important factor of an individual's subjective well-being. Consequently, Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has investigated approaches that strengthen mindfulness, i.e., by inventing multimedia technologies to support mindfulness meditation. These approaches often use smartphones, tablets, or consumer-grade desktop systems to allow everyday usage in users' private lives or in the scope of organized therapies. Virtual, Augmented, and Mixed Reality (VR, AR, MR; in short: XR) significantly extend the design space for such approaches. XR covers a wide range of potential sensory stimulation, perceptive and cognitive manipulations, content presentation, interaction, and agency. These facilities are linked to typical XR-specific perceptions that are conceptually closely related to mindfulness research, such as (virtual) presence and (virtual) embodiment. However, a successful exploitation of XR that strengthens mindfulness requires a systematic analysis of the potential interrelation and influencing mechanisms between XR technology, its properties, factors, and phenomena and existing models and theories of the construct of mindfulness. This article reports such a systematic analysis of XR-related research from HCI and life sciences to determine the extent to which existing research frameworks on HCI and mindfulness can be applied to XR technologies, the potential of XR technologies to support mindfulness, and open research gaps. Fifty papers of ACM Digital Library and National Institutes of Health's National Library of Medicine (PubMed) with and without empirical efficacy evaluation were included in our analysis. The results reveal that at the current time, empirical research on XR-based mindfulness support mainly focuses on therapy and therapeutic outcomes. Furthermore, most of the currently investigated XR-supported mindfulness interactions are limited to vocally guided meditations within nature-inspired virtual environments. While an analysis of empirical research on those systems did not reveal differences in mindfulness compared to non-mediated mindfulness practices, various design proposals illustrate that XR has the potential to provide interactive and body-based innovations for mindfulness practice. We propose a structured approach for future work to specify and further explore the potential of XR as mindfulness-support. The resulting framework provides design guidelines for XR-based mindfulness support based on the elements and psychological mechanisms of XR interactions. KW - virtual reality KW - augmented reality KW - mindfulness KW - XR KW - meditation Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-259047 VL - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Döllinger, Nina A1 - Wolf, Erik A1 - Mal, David A1 - Wenninger, Stephan A1 - Botsch, Mario A1 - Latoschik, Marc Erich A1 - Wienrich, Carolin T1 - Resize Me! Exploring the user experience of embodied realistic modulatable avatars for body image intervention in virtual reality JF - Frontiers in Virtual Reality N2 - Obesity is a serious disease that can affect both physical and psychological well-being. Due to weight stigmatization, many affected individuals suffer from body image disturbances whereby they perceive their body in a distorted way, evaluate it negatively, or neglect it. Beyond established interventions such as mirror exposure, recent advancements aim to complement body image treatments by the embodiment of visually altered virtual bodies in virtual reality (VR). We present a high-fidelity prototype of an advanced VR system that allows users to embody a rapidly generated personalized, photorealistic avatar and to realistically modulate its body weight in real-time within a carefully designed virtual environment. In a formative multi-method approach, a total of 12 participants rated the general user experience (UX) of our system during body scan and VR experience using semi-structured qualitative interviews and multiple quantitative UX measures. Using body weight modification tasks, we further compared three different interaction methods for real-time body weight modification and measured our system’s impact on the body image relevant measures body awareness and body weight perception. From the feedback received, demonstrating an already solid UX of our overall system and providing constructive input for further improvement, we derived a set of design guidelines to guide future development and evaluation processes of systems supporting body image interventions. KW - virtual reality KW - avatar embodiment KW - user experience KW - body awareness KW - body weight perception KW - body weight modification KW - body image disturbance KW - eating and body weight disorders Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-292940 SN - 2673-4192 VL - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hein, Rebecca M. A1 - Latoschik, Marc Erich A1 - Wienrich, Carolin T1 - Inter- and transcultural learning in cocial virtual reality: a proposal for an inter- and transcultural virtual object database to be used in the implementation, reflection, and evaluation of virtual encounters JF - Multimodal Technologies and Interaction N2 - Visual stimuli are frequently used to improve memory, language learning or perception, and understanding of metacognitive processes. However, in virtual reality (VR), there are few systematically and empirically derived databases. This paper proposes the first collection of virtual objects based on empirical evaluation for inter-and transcultural encounters between English- and German-speaking learners. We used explicit and implicit measurement methods to identify cultural associations and the degree of stereotypical perception for each virtual stimuli (n = 293) through two online studies, including native German and English-speaking participants. The analysis resulted in a final well-describable database of 128 objects (called InteractionSuitcase). In future applications, the objects can be used as a great interaction or conversation asset and behavioral measurement tool in social VR applications, especially in the field of foreign language education. For example, encounters can use the objects to describe their culture, or teachers can intuitively assess stereotyped attitudes of the encounters. KW - virtual stimuli KW - implicit association test KW - virtual reality KW - social VR KW - InteractionSuitcase Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-278974 SN - 2414-4088 VL - 6 IS - 7 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Hein, Rebecca M. A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Latoschik, Marc E. T1 - A systematic review of foreign language learning with immersive technologies (2001-2020) JF - AIMS Electronics and Electrical Engineering N2 - This study provides a systematic literature review of research (2001–2020) in the field of teaching and learning a foreign language and intercultural learning using immersive technologies. Based on 2507 sources, 54 articles were selected according to a predefined selection criteria. The review is aimed at providing information about which immersive interventions are being used for foreign language learning and teaching and where potential research gaps exist. The papers were analyzed and coded according to the following categories: (1) investigation form and education level, (2) degree of immersion, and technology used, (3) predictors, and (4) criterions. The review identified key research findings relating the use of immersive technologies for learning and teaching a foreign language and intercultural learning at cognitive, affective, and conative levels. The findings revealed research gaps in the area of teachers as a target group, and virtual reality (VR) as a fully immersive intervention form. Furthermore, the studies reviewed rarely examined behavior, and implicit measurements related to inter- and trans-cultural learning and teaching. Inter- and transcultural learning and teaching especially is an underrepresented investigation subject. Finally, concrete suggestions for future research are given. The systematic review contributes to the challenge of interdisciplinary cooperation between pedagogy, foreign language didactics, and Human-Computer Interaction to achieve innovative teaching-learning formats and a successful digital transformation. KW - foreign language learning and teaching KW - intercultural learning and teaching KW - immersive technologies KW - education KW - human-computer interaction KW - systematic literature review Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-268811 VL - 5 IS - 2 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Latoschik, Marc Erich A1 - Wienrich, Carolin T1 - Congruence and plausibility, not presence: pivotal conditions for XR experiences and effects, a novel approach JF - Frontiers in Virtual Reality N2 - Presence is often considered the most important quale describing the subjective feeling of being in a computer-generated and/or computer-mediated virtual environment. The identification and separation of orthogonal presence components, i.e., the place illusion and the plausibility illusion, has been an accepted theoretical model describing Virtual Reality (VR) experiences for some time. This perspective article challenges this presence-oriented VR theory. First, we argue that a place illusion cannot be the major construct to describe the much wider scope of virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (VR, AR, MR: or XR for short). Second, we argue that there is no plausibility illusion but merely plausibility, and we derive the place illusion caused by the congruent and plausible generation of spatial cues and similarly for all the current model’s so-defined illusions. Finally, we propose congruence and plausibility to become the central essential conditions in a novel theoretical model describing XR experiences and effects. KW - XR KW - experience KW - presence KW - congruence KW - plausibility KW - coherence KW - theory KW - prediction Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-284787 SN - 2673-4192 VL - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Carolus, Astrid T1 - Development of an Instrument to Measure Conceptualizations and Competencies About Conversational Agents on the Example of Smart Speakers JF - Frontiers in Computer Science N2 - The concept of digital literacy has been introduced as a new cultural technique, which is regarded as essential for successful participation in a (future) digitized world. Regarding the increasing importance of AI, literacy concepts need to be extended to account for AI-related specifics. The easy handling of the systems results in increased usage, contrasting limited conceptualizations (e.g., imagination of future importance) and competencies (e.g., knowledge about functional principles). In reference to voice-based conversational agents as a concrete application of AI, the present paper aims for the development of a measurement to assess the conceptualizations and competencies about conversational agents. In a first step, a theoretical framework of “AI literacy” is transferred to the context of conversational agent literacy. Second, the “conversational agent literacy scale” (short CALS) is developed, constituting the first attempt to measure interindividual differences in the “(il) literate” usage of conversational agents. 29 items were derived, of which 170 participants answered. An explanatory factor analysis identified five factors leading to five subscales to assess CAL: storage and transfer of the smart speaker’s data input; smart speaker’s functional principles; smart speaker’s intelligent functions, learning abilities; smart speaker’s reach and potential; smart speaker’s technological (surrounding) infrastructure. Preliminary insights into construct validity and reliability of CALS showed satisfying results. Third, using the newly developed instrument, a student sample’s CAL was assessed, revealing intermediated values. Remarkably, owning a smart speaker did not lead to higher CAL scores, confirming our basic assumption that usage of systems does not guarantee enlightened conceptualizations and competencies. In sum, the paper contributes to the first insights into the operationalization and understanding of CAL as a specific subdomain of AI-related competencies. KW - artificial intelligence literacy KW - artificial intelligence education KW - voice-based artificial intelligence KW - conversational agents KW - measurement Y1 - 2021 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-260198 VL - 3 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Carolus, Astrid A1 - Markus, André A1 - Augustin, Yannik A1 - Pfister, Jan A1 - Hotho, Andreas T1 - Long-term effects of perceived friendship with intelligent voice assistants on usage behavior, user experience, and social perceptions JF - Computers N2 - Social patterns and roles can develop when users talk to intelligent voice assistants (IVAs) daily. The current study investigates whether users assign different roles to devices and how this affects their usage behavior, user experience, and social perceptions. Since social roles take time to establish, we equipped 106 participants with Alexa or Google assistants and some smart home devices and observed their interactions for nine months. We analyzed diverse subjective (questionnaire) and objective data (interaction data). By combining social science and data science analyses, we identified two distinct clusters—users who assigned a friendship role to IVAs over time and users who did not. Interestingly, these clusters exhibited significant differences in their usage behavior, user experience, and social perceptions of the devices. For example, participants who assigned a role to IVAs attributed more friendship to them used them more frequently, reported more enjoyment during interactions, and perceived more empathy for IVAs. In addition, these users had distinct personal requirements, for example, they reported more loneliness. This study provides valuable insights into the role-specific effects and consequences of voice assistants. Recent developments in conversational language models such as ChatGPT suggest that the findings of this study could make an important contribution to the design of dialogic human–AI interactions. KW - intelligent voice assistant KW - smart speaker KW - social relationship KW - social role KW - long-term analysis KW - social interaction KW - human–computer interaction KW - anthropomorphism Y1 - 2023 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-313552 SN - 2073-431X VL - 12 IS - 4 ER - TY - JOUR A1 - Wienrich, Carolin A1 - Carolus, Astrid A1 - Roth-Isigkeit, David A1 - Hotho, Andreas T1 - Inhibitors and enablers to explainable AI success: a systematic examination of explanation complexity and individual characteristics JF - Multimodal Technologies and Interaction N2 - With the increasing adaptability and complexity of advisory artificial intelligence (AI)-based agents, the topics of explainable AI and human-centered AI are moving close together. Variations in the explanation itself have been widely studied, with some contradictory results. These could be due to users’ individual differences, which have rarely been systematically studied regarding their inhibiting or enabling effect on the fulfillment of explanation objectives (such as trust, understanding, or workload). This paper aims to shed light on the significance of human dimensions (gender, age, trust disposition, need for cognition, affinity for technology, self-efficacy, attitudes, and mind attribution) as well as their interplay with different explanation modes (no, simple, or complex explanation). Participants played the game Deal or No Deal while interacting with an AI-based agent. The agent gave advice to the participants on whether they should accept or reject the deals offered to them. As expected, giving an explanation had a positive influence on the explanation objectives. However, the users’ individual characteristics particularly reinforced the fulfillment of the objectives. The strongest predictor of objective fulfillment was the degree of attribution of human characteristics. The more human characteristics were attributed, the more trust was placed in the agent, advice was more likely to be accepted and understood, and important needs were satisfied during the interaction. Thus, the current work contributes to a better understanding of the design of explanations of an AI-based agent system that takes into account individual characteristics and meets the demand for both explainable and human-centered agent systems. KW - explainable AI KW - human-centered AI KW - recommender agent KW - explanation complexity KW - individual differences Y1 - 2022 U6 - http://nbn-resolving.de/urn/resolver.pl?urn:nbn:de:bvb:20-opus-297288 SN - 2414-4088 VL - 6 IS - 12 ER -