Social Presence in Computer-Based Receptionists: Experimental Study Towards Organizational Automation

Abstract

This study investigated how computer-based receptionists were perceived by visitors. Considering the perceived degree of social presence in four types of receptionists, we tested perceptions in source credibility, communication competence, satisfaction with interaction, and organizational attraction. Data from 473 participants indicated that the highest social presence was perceived in a text-based check-in system when compared to (a) human receptionist on a monitor, (b) avatar, and (c) holographic receptionist. Our findings also reveal that users would treat text-based computers in the same way as human agents in terms of the cognitive and affective aspects. The challenge in the behavioral aspect suggests that communication skills would be key for successful human-computer interaction.