Abstract
Interventions for job interviews targeting the impaired theory of mind observed in individuals with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are limited. We developed a role-play-based guidance system for job interviews using an android robot resembling a real person. Individuals with ASD worked in pairs and played dual roles in mock job interviews. Specifically, one participant acted as the interviewee, while the other participant operated the android robot and acted as the interviewer. Eight individuals with high-functioning ASD participated in this study. After the training sessions, participants learned to understand the point of view of the interviewer, which may contribute to increased recognition of the importance of gestures and the motivation to learn how to behave in a job interview. In addition, participants reported improved self-confidence. These results provide preliminary support for the efficacy of playing dual roles using android robots.
Highlights
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lifelong conditions that impact many aspects of life, including employment outcomes
To deepen the understanding of the point of view of interviewers, we developed a role-play-based guidance system for job interviews using an android robot, which is a robot with the appearance and movements resembling those of an actual human
When acting as the interviewee, participants seemed to be focused and engaged in the mock job interview. They learned the importance of gestures in job interviews from their experience as the interviewer, and these experiences increased their motivation to learn how to perform in job interviews
Summary
Autism spectrum disorders (ASD) are lifelong conditions that impact many aspects of life, including employment outcomes. Individuals with ASD have verbal and nonverbal social communication deficits that can interfere with the reciprocity and flow of conversation [2]. Nonverbal communications, such as eye contact, facial expressions, and gestures, are assumed to be directly connected to poor performance during job interviews [3, 4]. An advanced project using internet-accessed training and virtual reality has demonstrated that these tools have partial efficacy in improving job interview skills in individuals with ASD. Strickland et al showed that individuals with ASD who completed the internet-accessed training program had significantly improved verbal communication skills compared to a control
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