Are People Polite to Computers?: Responses to Computer-based Interviewing SystemsThe present studies were designed to test whether people are "polite" to computers. The tendency for people to engage in polite, "socially desirable" behavior in interpersonal interaction has been well-documented in the social psychological literature: An interviewer who directly asks about him- or herself will receive more positive and less varied responses than if the same question is posed by a third party. Two experiments were designed to determine if the same phenomenon occurs in human-computer interaction. In the first experiment (N = 30), participants performed a task with a text-based computer, and were then interviewed about the performance of that computer on one of three loci: 1) the same computer; 2) a paper-and-pencil questionnaire; 3) a different (but identical) text-based computer. Consistent with the politeness prediction, same-computer participants evaluated the computer more positively and more homogeneously than did either paper-and-pencil or different-computer participants. Experiment 2 (N = 30) replicated the results with voice-based computer(s). Implications for computer-based interviewing are discussed. |
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addition adjectives administration analysis answer asked assessments associated assume characteristics column of Table common compared complete COMPUTER CONDITION computer-based interviewing systems computer's performance conducted Consistent correct cues debriefed demand described designed different computer different-computer condition different-computer participants direct Discussion elicit eliminate evaluate Experiment experimental fact factor feel Finally findings followed font freedom given greater homogeneity human identical indicated individuals initial computer interaction interviewer-based bias involves less levels measures Method modality explanation Moon Nass normative response bias paper-and-pencil questionnaire Participants were told particular performance Person polite behavior positive positive responses possible prediction present psychological questions Ratings receive Reeves & Nass relatively replicated respect same-computer participants gave scoring session seems Significance significantly simply single situation social desirability effect Specifically Standard Deviations stimulus studies suggest task tend text-based three conditions topic tutoring session type of social undergraduate University validity voice
Bibliographic information
| Title | Are People Polite to Computers?: Responses to Computer-based Interviewing Systems Are People Polite to Computers?: Responses to Computer-based Interviewing Systems, Harvard University. Graduate School of Business Administration. Division of Research Volume 99, Issue 45 of Working paper (Harvard University. Graduate School of Business Administration. Division of Research) |
| Author | Clifford Ivar Nass |
| Contributor | Harvard University. Graduate School of Business Administration. Division of Research |
| Publisher | Division of Research, Harvard Business School, 1998 |
| Original from | Indiana University |
| Digitized | Jun 2, 2010 |
| Length | 16 pages |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |