Paper Info
Title
Can Alexa be your Therapist?: How Back-Channeling Transforms Smart-Speakers to be Active Listeners
Abstract
Smart-speakers such as Amazon Alexa are becoming increasingly popular among the general population. These devices support a wide range of user-initiated tasks. However, their current interaction capabilities are limited to quick turn-takings and short dialogues, which leads to limited user engagement. In this project, we aim to enhance the user engagement and interaction abilities of a smart-speaker by transforming it into an active listener. Specifically, we explored how providing random back-channelling (i.e., verbal continuers including "hm", "uhum", "aha", "yeah") can result in longer interactions and more sustained user engagement. The findings of the study have implications for usability and future design of smart-speakers. We also explored how the enhanced interactions in smart-speakers through back-channeling can be used for self-centered therapy leading to betTer emotional and social support.
Year
DOI
Venue
2019
10.1145/3311957.3359502
Conference Companion Publication of the 2019 on Computer Supported Cooperative Work and Social Computing
Keywords
DocType
ISBN
active listening, back-channeling, conversational agents, smart-speakers, wellbeing
Conference
978-1-4503-6692-2
Citations 
PageRank 
References 
0
0.34
0
Authors
4
Name
Order
Citations
PageRank
Nasim Motalebi100.68
Eugene Cho202.70
S. Shyam Sundar3409.37
Saeed Abdullah419818.46