Socializing Siri. Politeness in Spoken Dialog Systems

Brummernhenrich B, Linnemann G A, Jucks R,

Abstract

In interactions with spoken dialog systems (SDS), an important factor is whether the system is perceived as a social agent. People often communicate politely with computers but do we also expect politeness from SDS? 58 high school students rated an SDS that responded politely or rudely to questions about university life. As expected, a polite SDS was perceived as more likable, trustworthy and appropriate. However, perceptions of expertise or conversational skill were not influenced. This mirrors findings from human-human communication.