Giving Computers Personality? Personality in Computers is in the Eye of the User - Coverbal Synchrony in Human-Machine Interaction - page 42

(2012) examined the influences of four different characters within a
simulated computer-based “Sensitive Artificial Listener” (SAL). Each
character had a mix of different characteristics regarding various
personality traits. It was determined that the subjects' reactions to
the simulated characters were clearly distinguishable. These studies
demonstrated that the influence of a computer system's presented
personality, or more specifically particular personality traits, plays
an important role. Nass and Moon (2000, p. 91) summarized that: “In
computer science literature, 'personality' has traditionally been one
of the 'holy grails' of artificial intelligence”.
But what exactly do we mean by 'personality'? Personality refers
to the unique psychosocial characteristics of a subject that affect
numerous consistent traits within different situations (Zimbardo and
Gerrig, 2004). In personality psychology and psychological research,
quite a variety of different personality theories and models describing
distinct personality traits have been developed and discussed. In the
psychodynamic theory , importance is attached to unconscious experience
and behavior with reference to drives, maturation, and early childhood
experiences. In the phenomenological and philosophical approaches ,
the observations of self and others using classification systems are
connected with the classifications of experience and behavior. In the
cognitive theory , there is neither objective nor independent reality, but
rather a subjective, individually experienced, and interpreted world
(John et al., 1991; McAdams, 1995). In behavioral and inter-actionist
approaches , individual learning differences develop because of people's
life-experience histories (Fisseni, 2003). In the factor-analytical theories
of personality, the individual is viewed as a unique structure which
can be best understood and described through traits (Guilford,
1959). Traits are distinct and temporally constant characteristics that
describe specific aspects of a person's behavior. This theory is based
on dimensions which are determined using a statistical method of
factor analysis. Eysenck (Eysenck and Levy, 1972) attempted to reduce
the complexity of personality to two key dimensions (introversion vs.
extroversion and stability vs. instability). Within the factor-analytical
theory, Goldberg (1990) described the “Big Five” model. Later research
added evidence of the “Big Five” factors of human personality (Ozer
and Benet-Martinez, 2006). Nowadays the “Big Five” model is the
most influential personality model. This model assumes that behavior
in situations (state) is influenced by steady characteristics (traits).
The “Big Five” factors are: Extroversion (high: externally focused,
active, outgoing—low: internally focused, shy), Agreeableness (high:
cooperative, willing, conforming—low: less willing, argumentative,
non-conformist), Conscientiousness (high: good impulse control, stable,