A Framework for Emotions and Dispositions in Man-Companion Interaction - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 106

research that has been done in this regard (Cowie and Cornelius,
2003; Schuller et al., 2003). The question of how the use of
prosody by a technical system can positively influence human
users is still fairly unanswered. A recently published study was
able to show that praising and reproaching prosody instead of
neutral comments from a system (such as “ correct ”, “ incorrect ”,
“ yes ”, “ correct ”, “ no ”, “ incorrect ”), in response to answers selected by
test individuals in a learning situation, can lead to significantly higher
rates of learning (Wolff et al., 2011). In addition, this study showed that
the use of a synthetically generated version of the spoken comments
(compared to prosodically neutral, naturally spoken comments) led
to a significantly worse learning performance. This was all the more
remarkable because the information about the accuracy of the test
person's answer was also contained in the synthetically generated
response and therefore the decisive information to solve the task.
These findings emphasize the risks of using verbal communication,
especially by companion systems, because the scope of such systems'
communication capabilities must be so complex that a naturally spoken
vocabulary would not be practical in contrast with a mere navigation
system and its limited vocabulary.
He who has a companion has a master. French.
3. Relationship between Humans and Companions
Why should a human being surround himself with a companion
that is more than just a passive assistance system because it reacts
emphatically to his or her emotions, needs, and motives? Two
perspectives are important here: First, users want to reach a goal, solve
a problem, or improve their capabilities. Taking a mountain hiker as
an example, the companion could be used to reach a certain objective
or avoid bad weather. The interaction with a companion supports
users with its specific problem-solving competencies and ability to
carry on a dialogue. The companion system takes into account the
user's emotional and motivational state as well as his or her cognitive
abilities to solve a problem. Therefore, if the fact that bad weather is
approaching creates concern, the companion would urge the user to
avoid the weather and if that is not possible, it would help prepare for
surviving bad weather in the open. In order to do so, the companion
must have specific capabilities and must be able to dialogue. In this
case, the emotions, motives and intentions are created by the context
in which the need for using the system originated. Second, usage is
the result of a need for contact, entertainment and activity. To be able