A Bot and a Smile: Interpersonal Impressions of Chatbots and Humans Using Emoji in Computer-mediated Communication

ABSTRACT

Artificially intelligent (AI) agents increasingly occupy roles once served by humans in computer-mediated communication (CMC). Technological affordances like emoji give interactants (humans or bots) the ability to partially overcome the limited nonverbal information in CMC. However, despite the growth of chatbots as conversational partners, few CMC and human-machine communication (HMC) studies have explored how bots’ use of emoji impact perceptions of communicator quality. This study examined the relationship between emoji use and observers’ impressions of interpersonal attractiveness, CMC competence, and source credibility; and whether impressions formed of human versus chatbot message sources were different. Results demonstrated that participants rated emoji-using chatbot message sources similarly to human message sources, and both humans and bots are significantly more socially attractive, CMC competent, and credible when compared to verbal-only message senders. Results are discussed with respect to the CASA paradigm and the human-to-human interaction script framework.

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KEYWORDS:

• Emoji
• AI
• CASA
• Chatbot
• attraction
• credibility
• competence

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1. Originally, there was another condition in the study examining emoticons. This condition was dropped for clarity due to the suggestion of a reviewer. The overall argument and findings did not change as a result and the design is clearer. Thank you to the reviewer for this idea.

2. We did not manipulate varying numbers of smiles or frowns or attempt to tease out the effects of emojis expressing positive versus negative affect. The affect valence, number, and placement of emojis reflected our attempt at experimental realism. Our choices were based on scans of similar chat conversations available online.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Austin Beattie

Austin Beattie is a Post-Graduate Fellow in the Communication and Social Robotics Labs and Communication PhD student at the University of Iowa. Austin holds a bachelor’s in Communication Studies from Northern Michigan University, and a master’s degree in Communication from Western Michigan University. His primary focus areas are computer-mediated and supportive communication.

Autumn P. Edwards

Autumn P. Edwards (Ph.D., Ohio University) is Professor in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University and Co-director of the Communication and Social Robotics Labs (combotlabs.org). Her research addresses human-machine communication with an emphasis on how ontological considerations, or beliefs about the nature of communicators and communication, both shape and are shaped by interactions with digital interlocutors.

Chad Edwards

Chad Edwards (Ph.D., University of Kansas) is a professor of communication in the School of Communication at Western Michigan University. His research interests include human-machine communication, human-robot interaction, artificial intelligence, and instructional communication.