Multimodal interfaces enhance perceived relationship and social presence with virtual coaches for older adults.

Why It Matters

This research highlights the importance of considering how older adults interact with digital systems. By leveraging multimodal interfaces, designers can create more engaging and effective virtual coaches that better meet the social and relational needs of this demographic.

Key Finding

Using a combination of interface outputs, especially when they complement each other, makes virtual coaches feel more connected and present to older adults.

Key Findings

• Multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly improved the eCoach-user relationship and social presence compared to single-interface outputs in an online study.
• In a face-to-face experiment, multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly increased social presence compared to a chatbot-only interface.

Research Evidence

Aim: What is the effect of different multimodal interface output combinations (single-interface vs. multi-interface redundant-complementary) of a conversational virtual coach on older adults' perception of the eCoach-user relationship (closeness, commitment, complementarity) and their feeling of social presence?

Method: Mixed-methods (quantitative online survey and face-to-face experiment, qualitative analysis)

Procedure: Participants interacted with a conversational virtual coach using different interface output combinations (single-interface chatbot, single-interface tangible coach, multi-interface redundant-complementary). Their perceptions of the eCoach-user relationship and social presence were then measured.

Sample Size: 74 participants (59 online, 15 face-to-face)

Context: Human-computer interaction, virtual coaches, older adults

Design Principle

Employ redundant-complementary multimodal interfaces to foster stronger user relationships and social presence in digital interactions, particularly with vulnerable or specific user groups.

How to Apply

When developing virtual assistants or coaches for older adults, consider integrating both visual (e.g., chatbot interface) and auditory or even physical (e.g., tangible coach) outputs that work together to convey information and build rapport.

Limitations

Differences in study settings (online vs. face-to-face) yielded varying degrees of significant results, suggesting context is a crucial factor.

Student Guide (IB Design Technology)

Simple Explanation: For older people using virtual assistants, using more than one way to communicate (like talking and showing on screen) makes the assistant feel more like a real helper and friend.

Why This Matters: This research shows that how you present information to users, especially older adults, can greatly affect how they feel about the product and how well they use it. It's about making technology feel more human and accessible.

Critical Thinking: To what extent do the benefits of multimodal interfaces for older adults outweigh the increased complexity and potential cost of development?

IA-Ready Paragraph: This research by El Kamali et al. (2023) demonstrates that employing multimodal interaction strategies, specifically a redundant-complementary approach, can significantly enhance the perceived relationship and social presence between older adults and conversational virtual coaches. This suggests that integrating multiple interface outputs, such as combining chatbot text with auditory feedback or a tangible interface, is crucial for fostering a more engaging and empathetic user experience for this demographic.

Project Tips

• Consider how different sensory inputs can be combined to enhance user experience.
• Investigate how redundancy in information delivery can improve comprehension and engagement for specific user groups.

How to Use in IA

• Reference this study when discussing the benefits of multimodal design for user engagement and relationship building in your design project.
• Use the findings to justify the choice of interface modalities in your proposed solution.

Examiner Tips

• Demonstrate an understanding of how interface design choices impact user perception and emotional connection.
• Critically evaluate the trade-offs between single-modality and multi-modality in your design solutions.

Independent Variable: Interface output combination (single-interface vs. multi-interface redundant-complementary)

Dependent Variable: eCoach-user relationship (closeness, commitment, complementarity), social presence

Controlled Variables: Type of conversational agent (chatbot, tangible coach), study setting (online vs. face-to-face)

Strengths

• Investigated both relationship and social presence, key aspects of user experience.
• Utilized a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.

Critical Questions

• How might cultural differences among older adults influence their preferences for multimodal interactions?
• What are the optimal levels of redundancy and complementarity for different types of virtual coaching tasks?

Extended Essay Application

• An Extended Essay could explore the long-term impact of sustained multimodal interaction with virtual coaches on the well-being and social engagement of older adults.
• Investigate the ethical considerations of designing virtual coaches that foster strong emotional bonds with vulnerable populations.

Source

Older adults' perspectives on multimodal interaction with a conversational virtual coach · Frontiers in Computer Science · 2023 · 10.3389/fcomp.2023.1125895