Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons^™

The Influence Of Conversational Agent Embodiment And Conversational Relevance On Socially Desirable Responding, Ryan M. Schuetzler, Justin Scott Giboney, G. Mark Grimes, Jay F. Nunamaker Jr.

Ryan Schuetzler

Conversational agents (CAs) are becoming an increasingly common component in a wide range of information systems. A great deal of research to date has focused on enhancing traits that make CAs more humanlike. However, few studies have examined the influence such traits have on information disclosure. This research builds on self-disclosure, social desirability, and social presence theories to explain how CA anthropomorphism affects disclosure of personally sensitive information. Taken together, these theories suggest that as CAs become more humanlike, the social desirability of user responses will increase. In this study, we use a laboratory experiment to examine the influence of …