Robotic Backchanneling in Online Conversation Facilitation: A Cross-Generational Study

TL;DR

This study evaluates a socially embodied robot with backchannelling capabilities to facilitate group conversations among young and older adults, aiming to support cognitive health and social engagement in aging societies.

Contribution

It introduces a novel backchannelling feature in a conversational robot and assesses its acceptance and effectiveness across different age groups.

Findings

Younger adults found the robot more trustworthy and acceptable with backchannelling.

Older adults exhibited nonverbal backchanneling in response to the robot.

Backchannelling increased perceived kindness and trustworthiness.

Abstract

Japan faces many challenges related to its aging society, including increasing rates of cognitive decline in the population and a shortage of caregivers. Efforts have begun to explore solutions using artificial intelligence (AI), especially socially embodied intelligent agents and robots that can communicate with people. Yet, there has been little research on the compatibility of these agents with older adults in various everyday situations. To this end, we conducted a user study to evaluate a robot that functions as a facilitator for a group conversation protocol designed to prevent cognitive decline. We modified the robot to use backchannelling, a natural human way of speaking, to increase receptiveness of the robot and enjoyment of the group conversation experience. We conducted a cross-generational study with young adults and older adults. Qualitative analyses indicated that younger adults perceived the backchannelling version of the robot as kinder, more trustworthy, and more acceptable than the non-backchannelling robot. Finally, we found that the robot's backchannelling elicited nonverbal backchanneling in older participants.