A Framework for Emotions and Dispositions in Man-Companion Interaction - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 101

and contrast positive and negative experiences with technical devices
(human-machine interaction, HMI) or with other human beings
(human-human interaction, HHI), and whether the emotional content
of such experiences can be analyzed, there are significant similarities,
but also a few differences because, with regard to HMI, feelings such
as shame would be very rare, but do play a role in interpersonal
relationships. In addition, negative emotions showed more variety in
HHI (Walter et al., 2013b).

Table 1. Fundamental differences between humans and cognitive-technical companions.

Characteristics Human Companion Cognitive-Technical

Companion

Determination

Unsure Determined

Materiality Organismic, not deterministic Technical and algorithmic

Availability Depending on will and activation At will

Autonomy, personality,
and awareness

Yes No

Emotionality

Subjectively experiencing,
socially expressive and emphatic,
embodiment

Sensory recognizant and
expressive (Avatars)

Communication and
Ability to talk

Potentially very comprehensive,
multi-modal, natural speech

Very limited, multi-
modal

Needs, motivation

Varied, psychobiological Technical energy supply

Sensitivity

Mental and physical Device-related

Table 1 lists some of the fundamental differences, which particularly
refer to technical and biological characteristics. From the view of an
interacting user, however, not all of the differences are relevant. What
are most important are the corporeality of a human and its ability
to communicate naturally, and the ability of the cognitive-technical
system to interpret the natural speech of the users in a semantically
correct manner. If the user can use natural speech to interact with the
companion, albeit in a limited manner, the character differences become
less important and the relationship that a human user develops with
an object will depend on the emphatic capabilities or a technological
system in responding to human emotions (valence, moods, and
discrete emotions) and dispositions (motives, action tendencies, and
personality). The user does not approach a new technical system with
companion characteristics as an unknown entity, but will transfer his/
her “inner world” of earlier effective experiences to the new situation,
according to Kernberg (1992). From the self-psychology perspective
(Kohut, 1987), it must furthermore be assumed that the symbolic and