Mind the Style: Impact of Communication Style on Human-Chatbot Interaction
arXiv:2602.17850v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Conversational agents increasingly mediate everyday digital interactions, yet the effects of their communication style on user experience and task success remain unclear. Addressing this gap, we describe the results of a between-subject user study where participants interact with one of two versions of a chatbot called NAVI which assists users in an interactive map-based 2D navigation task. The two chatbot versions differ only in communication style: one is friendly and supportive, while the other is direct and task-focused. Our results show that the friendly style increases subjective satisfaction and significantly improves task completion rates among female participants only, while no baseline differences between female and male participants were observed in a control condition without the chatbot. Furthermore, we find little evidence of users mimicking the chatbot's style, suggesting limited linguistic accommodation. These findings
arXiv:2602.17850v1 Announce Type: cross Abstract: Conversational agents increasingly mediate everyday digital interactions, yet the effects of their communication style on user experience and task success remain unclear. Addressing this gap, we describe the results of a between-subject user study where participants interact with one of two versions of a chatbot called NAVI which assists users in an interactive map-based 2D navigation task. The two chatbot versions differ only in communication style: one is friendly and supportive, while the other is direct and task-focused. Our results show that the friendly style increases subjective satisfaction and significantly improves task completion rates among female participants only, while no baseline differences between female and male participants were observed in a control condition without the chatbot. Furthermore, we find little evidence of users mimicking the chatbot's style, suggesting limited linguistic accommodation. These findings highlight the importance of user- and task-sensitive conversational agents and support that communication style personalization can meaningfully enhance interaction quality and performance.
Executive Summary
This article investigates the impact of communication style on human-chatbot interaction, focusing on a navigation task. A between-subject user study compared two versions of a chatbot, differing in communication style: friendly and supportive versus direct and task-focused. The results show that the friendly style increases subjective satisfaction and task completion rates among female participants, but not among males. The study highlights the importance of user- and task-sensitive conversational agents and supports the potential of communication style personalization to enhance interaction quality and performance. The findings have implications for the development of more effective and user-centered chatbots, particularly in tasks involving human navigation and decision-making.
Key Points
- ▸ The study demonstrates the significance of communication style in human-chatbot interaction.
- ▸ The friendly communication style improved task completion rates and subjective satisfaction among female participants.
- ▸ The results suggest that communication style personalization can enhance interaction quality and performance.
Merits
Strength in Experimental Design
The study employed a between-subject user study, which allows for effective comparison of different chatbot versions and minimizes the risk of confounding variables.
Insight into User Behavior
The study provides valuable insights into how users interact with chatbots and the factors that influence their behavior, particularly in the context of navigation and decision-making tasks.
Demerits
Limited Generalizability
The study's findings may not be generalizable to other chatbot applications or tasks, which could limit the article's broader impact and relevance.
Lack of Theoretical Framework
The article does not provide a clear theoretical framework for understanding the effects of communication style on human-chatbot interaction, which could make it challenging for readers to fully appreciate the study's implications.
Expert Commentary
This study provides valuable insights into the impact of communication style on human-chatbot interaction, highlighting the importance of user- and task-sensitive conversational agents. The findings suggest that communication style personalization can enhance interaction quality and performance, particularly in tasks involving human navigation and decision-making. However, the study's limited generalizability and lack of theoretical framework may limit its broader impact and relevance. Nevertheless, the article's emphasis on the significance of communication style in human-chatbot interaction is well-supported and warrants further investigation.
Recommendations
- ✓ Future studies should investigate the impact of communication style on human-chatbot interaction in various contexts and applications, including tasks involving human navigation and decision-making.
- ✓ Chatbot developers and policymakers should consider the importance of user- and task-sensitive conversational agents and the potential benefits of communication style personalization in improving user experience and task success.
