Like My Aunt Dorothy: Effects of Conversational Styles on Perceptions, Acceptance and Metaphorical Descriptions of Voice Assistants during Later Adulthood

TL;DR

This study explores how conversational styles of voice assistants influence perceptions and acceptance among middle-aged and older adults, revealing age-related preferences and anthropomorphism tendencies that inform personalized VA design.

Contribution

It provides novel insights into age-specific preferences for formal versus informal VA styles and their impact on perceptions and anthropomorphism in later adulthood.

Findings

Older adults with higher agreeableness find VAs more likable.

Older adults prefer informal VAs, especially those with low agreeableness.

Both age groups anthropomorphize VAs, associating formal styles with professionals and informal styles with close ones.

Abstract

Little research has investigated the design of conversational styles of voice assistants (VA) for adults in their later adulthood with varying personalities. In this Wizard of Oz experiment, 34 middle-aged (50 to 64 years old) and 24 older adults (65 to 80 years old) participated in a user study at a simulated home, interacting with a VA using either formal or informal language. Older adults with higher agreeableness perceived VA as being more likeable than middle-aged adults. Middle-aged adults showed similar technology acceptance toward the informal and formal VA, and older adults preferred using informal VA, especially those with low agreeableness. Further, while both middle-aged and older adults frequently anthropomorphized VAs by using human metaphors for them, older adults compared formal VA with professionals (e.g., librarians, teachers) and informal VA with their close ones (e.g., spouses, relatives). Overall, the conversational style showed differential effects on the perceptions of middle-aged and older adults, suggesting personalized design implications.