Using Social Signal Processing and Conversational Agent To Aid People in their Negotiation Skills

Self-awareness through Mimicry

Master thesis (2023)

Authors

W. Chen Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Contributors

C.M. Jonker Interactive Intelligence - EEMCS (supervisor 1)
Catharine Oertel Interactive Intelligence - EEMCS (supervisor 1)
H.S. Hung Pattern Recognition and Bioinformatics - EEMCS (supervisor 2)
Faculty
Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science
Copyright: © 2023 Weilun Chen
Conversational Agents Negotiation Non-Verbal Communication Self-Awareness Mimicry
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Published Date

08-11-2023

Language

English

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Faculty

Electrical Engineering, Mathematics and Computer Science

Abstract

Negotiation is not a skill that comes naturally to most people. However, most people could benefit from attaining good negotiation skills. Non-verbal behaviour plays an important role in negotiations. Previous studies have shown a link between mimicry through conversational agents and self-regulation of non-verbal behaviour. The current study aims to raise a person’s self-awareness of their non-verbal behaviour through the medium of a conversational agent in negotiation training. An experiment (N = 64) is conducted where participants performed negotiations with an intermediate feedback round where the participants' non-verbal behaviour was played back on a virtual agent. The agent either mimicked the participants’ non-verbal behaviour or exhibited idle behaviour. It was found that the mimicking agent provided better feedback to the participants. Furthermore, repeated negotiations increase a person's self-awareness. The data indicate that raising a person’s self-awareness in negotiation training by utilising non-verbal mimicry through a conversational agent is feasible.