Abstract

This dissertation explores the effect of virtual humans’ facial emotional displays in the context of persuasion. In a collaborative problem-solving game, participants received persuasive information from a virtual teammate. The first study demonstrated that a subservient virtual teammate’s facial emotional displays reduced his or her persuasive capacity. The second study revealed that the effect of a virtual human’s facial emotional displays was jointly determined by whether the observer was in power, and/or whether the observer considered it appropriate to express emotions. Emotional expressions undermined persuasion when the observer overpowered the virtual human, and/or when the observer perceived emotional expressions to be inappropriate. When both conditions were satisfied, emotional expressions reduced persuasion the most. The third study suggested that the amount of anger expressions predicted the outcome of persuasion. Photorealism, while on one hand enhanced the perception of anger expressions, did not moderate the effect of emotional expressions. Findings from this study inform theories of emotional expressions in persuasion, and guide the design of persuasive virtual humans.

Publication Date

6-15-2015

Document Type

Dissertation

Student Type

Graduate

Degree Name

Computing and Information Sciences (Ph.D.)

Department, Program, or Center

PhD Program in Computing and Information Sciences

Advisor

Joe Geigel

Advisor/Committee Member

Reynold Bailey

Advisor/Committee Member

Jonathan Gratch

Campus

RIT – Main Campus

Plan Codes

COMPIS-PHD

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