Individual Cognitive Stimulation Therapy (iCST) is a home-based psychosocial intervention for persons living with dementia (PLwDs) whose therapeutic value depends not only on activity content but also on how the session is conducted. Existing digital and voice-based iCST systems can still feel staged, especially around pauses, restarts, and slow endings. We describe a browser-based research prototype that uses continuous, interruptible speech to deliver a short iCST session. A central design move in the prototype is to separate local turn-taking from session-level control: the underlying real-time API manages interruption and exchange timing, while the application manages overall session progression. We describe how a prior formative study, iCST guidance, dementia communication literature, and iterative implementation informed the session arc, the system boundary, and the role-and-prompt structure. We conclude by discussing the design implications, limitations, and future evaluation needs for conducting an iCST session with a real-time voice agent.
Yixiao Li, Ita Daryanti Saragih, Donna M. Fick et al.· International Conference on...· 0 citations
We rely on conversational agents (CAs) for obtaining a variety of information, but rarely for shopping. A primary design characteristic of CAs shaping user acceptance ever since their inception, is their anthropomorphic nature. They have become increasingly human-like, taking on human roles such as assistant, friend, or servant. While anthropomorphic features are often intended to foster engagement, voice shopping continues to lag behind market expectations. Could humanizing CAs undermine interaction quality rather than enhancing user experience through greater engagement? We investigated whether the effectiveness of humanized CAs depends on users’ relational perceptions, specifically whether they view the CA like a servant, friend, or rational agent. In an online experiment (N = 407), participants viewed standard or humanized videos of voice shopping interactions. Results showed that humanized design negatively affects perceived attitudes toward voice shopping. Furthermore, humanized design decreased perceived benefits when the CA was perceived more like a servant. Findings question widespread design emphasis on humanization and inspire new designs for CAs.
M. Tschopp, Cheng Chen, Magdalena Wischnewski et al.· International Conference on...· 0 citations