Social Practice: Becoming Enculturated in Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract. We present a new approach to the design, development and evaluation of embodied conversational agents (ECAs) that allows them to index identity through culturally and socially authentic verbal and non-verbal behaviors. This approach is illustrated with research we are carrying out with children who speak several dialects of American English, and the subsequent implementation and first evaluation of a virtual peer based on that research. Results suggest that issues of identity in ECAs are more complicated than previous approaches might suggest, and that ECAs themselves may play a role in understanding issues of identity and language use in ways that have promise for educational applications.

• Type: Journal
• Year: 2009
• Where: HCI
• Authors: Justine Cassell
• Keywords: Conversational Agents, HCI 2009, Human Computer Interaction, Non-verbal Behaviors, Subsequent Implementation