Digital ChameleonsAutomatic Assimilation of Nonverbal Gestures in Immersive Virtual Environments

Bailenson, J. N., & Yee, N. (2005)

Eun Joung Cho

Look at these pictures.

And these . . .

Were you smiling?

Did you feel sad?

Motor mimicry

People change their own face similar to their interactant.

e.g. Our face is distorted when the other is in pain.

Chameleon effect

Mimicked behaviours lead to interactants’ favor.

Synchronization

Chameleon effect

• Accents

• Speech patterns

• Syntax

• General mood

• likable

• prosocial behaviour

• rapport persists

A salad, B main dish,

andC dessert,

please

A salad,B main dish,

andC dessert

…thank you, ma’am.

… thank you, ma’am.

(van Baaren, Holland, Steenaert, & van Knippenberg, 2003)

Using mimicry in Virtual world

1. Strategic conversation with others using avatar.

2. Sociable computer system.

Because the information is all digital

1. Frequency (how many times)

2. Thoroughness (how many types of gestures)

3. Intensity (exact mirror or only an approximation)

2005Digital Chameleons

2008Detecting digital chameleons

2010Effects of Facial Similarity on User Responses to Embodied Agents

Experiment video clip

2005

• Participant’s gender

• Agent’s gender

• Agent’s behaviour (mimic or recorded)

IV

• agent’s social presence (realistic)

• agreement (agent’s persuasion)

• impression of the agent (positive)

DV

Digital Chameleons

1.

2. Over 28˚, participants cannot see the avatar.

• Female : mimic -> do not

• Male : recorded -> do

2008

Agent’s behaviourIV

• trustworthiness

• warmth

• information

• agreement

DV

• Mirror-mimic (exactly mirrored)

• Congruent-mimic (reverse-mirrored)

• Axis-switch (mirrored along a different axis)

Detecting digital chameleons

• Participants rated the presenter as

less trustworthy when they detected the mimic.

less friendly (warmth)

• Participants were more likely

to detect the mirror-mimic condition than others.

2010

IV

• Involvement (How much do you feel connected to X?)

• Distance (How much does X leave you with cold feelings?)

• UseIntention (How much do you want to use X again?)

DV

Effects of Facial Similarity on User Responses to Embodied Agents

• Designed similarity

(facial similar vs. dissimilar)

• Designed affordance

(aid vs. obstacle)

• Similar – dissimilar : no difference

• Aid – obstacle : difference

On average participants feel

more using intention with an aiding agent that was facially similar.

higher involvement with an aiding agent.

less distant with an aiding agent.

To sum up,

Mimicked behaviour more social presence / better impression

But,

If the users notice the mimicry, it does not work

And,

The users feel positive when just the agents are helpful.

Thank you

Eun Joung Cho