Synchrony facilitates altruistic decision making for non-human avatars. (March 2022)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fujiwara, Ken; Hoegen, Rens; Gratch, Jonathan; Dunbar, Norah E.
• Is Part Of: Computers in human behavior. Volume 128(2022)
• Publication Date: 2022-03
• Subjects: Interpersonal synchrony -- Human-computer communiation -- Avatars -- Agents -- Cross-wavelet analysis; Interactive computer systems -- Periodicals; Man-machine systems -- Periodicals; 004.019
• DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2021.107079
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0747-5632

Abstract

Abstract: Synchrony is a natural part of human interaction and is often associated with a variety of prosocial outcomes including affinity and rapport. The purpose of this research was to examine whether human negotiators would synchronize their movements when working with non-human avatars and if so, whether that would affect their perceptions of their negotiations. Results suggest that participants synchronized their movements with the movements of non-human negotiation partners, that greater synchrony was observed when participants engaged in an integrative negotiation compared to a distributive negotiation, and participants that engaged in synchrony reported greater affiliation with their non-human partner. Synchrony also lead to giving more to the non-human agent in an integrative negotiation whereas it had no significant impact on the outcomes in a distributive negotiation. Implications for human-machine interaction are discussed. Highlights: This study employed a factorial experimental design with the setting of negotiation (integrative, distributive) manipulated. Participants (N = 172) completed a negotiation experiment with a non-human avatar. Participants synchronized their movements with the movements of their non-human negotiation partners. Greater synchrony was observed when participants engaged in an integrative negotiation compared to distributive negotiation. Participants that engaged in synchrony reported greater affiliation with their non-human partner.