Abstract
Previous research focused on differences between interacting with a person-controlled avatar and a computer-controlled virtual agent. This study however examines an aspiring form of technology called agent representative which constitutes a mix of the former two interaction partner types since it is a computer agent which was previously instructed by a person to take over a task on the person's behalf. In an experimental lab study with a 2 × 3 between-subjects-design (N = 195), people believed to study either together with an agent representative, avatar, or virtual agent. The interaction partner was described to either possess high or low expertise, while always giving negative feedback regarding the participant's performance. Results show small but interesting differences regarding the type of agency. People attributed the most agency and blame to the person(s) behind the software and reported the most negative affect when interacting with an avatar, which was less the case for a person's agent representative and the least for a virtual agent. Level of expertise had no significant effect and other evaluation measures were not affected.
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