Paper Number

ECIS2025-1766

Paper Type

CRP

Abstract

Embodied Conversational Agents have been used to persuade users to change their intention to do healthy behaviours. This study explores users perceptions of a virtual one stop health shop where the user can talk to multiple health coaches (dietician, exercise and cognition) in the same session and the impact on user’s behaviour change intention to do the recommended behaviours.. Each coach varies in human-like empathy expressed during conversation through the inclusion (empathic) or exclusion (neutral) or mix of four types of relational cues: empowerment, working alliance, affirmation and social dialogues. In our between/within- subjects study, 284 participants experienced all three coaches and dialogue styles but in different combinations and orders. Multiple coaches were considered convenient, informative and helpful. Empathic coaches increased intentions to do physical and diet behaviours, whereas the neutral cognitive coach was most effective in encouraging change. This shows empathic dialogue is not always the most persuasive.

Author Connect URL

https://authorconnect.aisnet.org/conferences/ECIS2025/papers/ECIS2025-1766

Author Connect Link

Share

COinS
 
Jun 18th, 12:00 AM

A ONE-STOP HEALTH SHOP: EXPLORING DIFFERENT CONVERSATIONAL STYLES FOR BEHAVIOUR CHANGE VIA MULTIPLE DIGITAL COACHES

Embodied Conversational Agents have been used to persuade users to change their intention to do healthy behaviours. This study explores users perceptions of a virtual one stop health shop where the user can talk to multiple health coaches (dietician, exercise and cognition) in the same session and the impact on user’s behaviour change intention to do the recommended behaviours.. Each coach varies in human-like empathy expressed during conversation through the inclusion (empathic) or exclusion (neutral) or mix of four types of relational cues: empowerment, working alliance, affirmation and social dialogues. In our between/within- subjects study, 284 participants experienced all three coaches and dialogue styles but in different combinations and orders. Multiple coaches were considered convenient, informative and helpful. Empathic coaches increased intentions to do physical and diet behaviours, whereas the neutral cognitive coach was most effective in encouraging change. This shows empathic dialogue is not always the most persuasive.

When commenting on articles, please be friendly, welcoming, respectful and abide by the AIS eLibrary Discussion Thread Code of Conduct posted here.