First Impressions in Human-Agent Virtual Encounters

In greeting encounters, first impressions of personality and attitude are quickly formed and might determine important relational decisions, such as the likelihood and frequency of subsequent encounters. An anthropomorphic user interface is not immune to these judgments, specifically when exhibiting social interaction skills in public spaces. A favorable impression may help engaging users in interaction and attaining acceptance for long-term interactions. We present three studies implementing a model of first impressions for initiating user interactions with an anthropomorphic museum guide agent with socio-relational skills. We focus on nonverbal behavior exhibiting personality and interpersonal attitude. In two laboratory studies, we demonstrate that impressions of an agent's personality are quickly formed based on proximity, whereas interpersonal attitude is conveyed through smile and gaze. We also found that interpersonal attitude has greater impact than personality on the user's decision to spend time with the agent. These findings are then applied to a museum guide agent exhibited at the Boston Museum of Science. In this field study, we show that employing our model increases the number of visitors engaging in interaction.