Abstract
We present a storytelling robot, controlled via the ACT-R cognitive architecture, able to adopt different persuasive techniques and ethical stances while conversing about some topics concerning COVID-19. The main contribution of the paper consists in the proposal of a needs-driven model that guides and evaluates, during the dialogue, the use (if any) of persuasive techniques available in the agent procedural memory. The portfolio of persuasive techniques tested in such a model ranges from the use of storytelling to framing techniques and rhetorical-based arguments. To the best of our knowledge, this represents the first attempt of building a persuasive agent able to integrate a mix of explicitly grounded cognitive assumptions about dialogue management, storytelling and persuasive techniques as well as ethical attitudes. The paper presents the results of an exploratory evaluation of the system on 63 participants.
Highlights
The field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has started to focus its attention on the design and implementation of artificial systems “orienting” attitudes and/or behaviours of a user according to a predefined direction
Building persuasive robots able to interact with human beings on a specific topic or in a in a realistic and persuasive way, represents an open problem and research challenge in Social Robotics
We present the model of a persuasive robot relying on a plurality of cognitive assumptions based on dialogue modelling, storytelling, ethical perspectives, as well as a selection of rhetorical techniques studied in the field of cognitive science, logic and argumentation theory1
Summary
The field of Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) has started to focus its attention on the design and implementation of artificial systems “orienting” attitudes and/or behaviours of a user according to a predefined direction This growing sub-field, studying the so-called Persuasive Technologies, concerns a variety of system typologies that can adopt different strategies to pursue their goals. Building persuasive robots able to interact with human beings on a specific topic or in a (or in a multi-domain setting) in a realistic and persuasive way, represents an open problem and research challenge in Social Robotics To this aim, a strategy often used in human-human communication to make people reconsider their behaviour and beliefs, and proposed in human-robot interaction, is to exploit storytelling to let people identify themselves with the characters or roles in a story in order to understand different perspectives and needs. In 6 we discuss the obtained results and envision future works to be carried out
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