Title
Silicon sycophants: the effects of computers that flatter
Abstract
A laboratory experiment examines the claims that (1) humans are susceptible to flattery from computers and (2) the effects of flattery from computers are the same as the effects of flattery from humans. In a cooperative task with a computer, subjects (N=41) received one of three types of feedback from a computer: “sincere praise”, “flattery” (insincere praise) or “generic feedback”. Compared to generic-feedback subjects, flattery subjects reported more positive affect, better performance, more positive evaluations of the interaction and more positive regard for the computer, even though subjects knew that the flattery from the computer was simply noncontingent feedback. Subjects in the sincere praise condition responded similarly to those in the flattery condition. The study concludes that the effects of flattery from a computer can produce the same general effects as flattery from humans, as described in the psychology literature. These findings may suggest significant implications for the design of interactive technologies.
Year
DOI
Venue
1997
10.1006/ijhc.1996.0104
Int. J. Hum.-Comput. Stud.
Keywords
DocType
Volume
silicon sycophant,positive affect
Journal
46
Issue
ISSN
Citations 
5
1071-5819
105
PageRank 
References 
Authors
52.35
7
2
Search Limit
100105
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
B. J. Fogg12694515.36
Clifford Nass22416587.98