Auditory Emotional Feedback Facilitates Human-Computer Interaction

Abstract

The present study investigated psychophysiological responses to emotional feedback in a computerised problem-solving experiment. 40 subjects solved 27 series of mathematical tasks. After each series, a speech synthesiser gave emotionally negative, neutral, or positive feedback. Response times and error-rates to calculations following the different feedback categories were analysed. Pupil size was measured during and five seconds after each feedback category. Ratings of the feedback categories were also measured. The ratings showed that the different feedback categories were effective in eliciting congruent emotions in the subjects. The task times were significantly shorter after positive than negative feedback. Error rates were not affected by the feedback. The pupil size was significantly smaller after the feedback than during it. After positive feedback, there was a significantly faster decrease in the pupil diameter than after the other feedback categories. Thus, positive emotional feedback had beneficial effects on human behaviour and physiology in human-computer interaction.