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Voice Against Bias: Exploring Voice Assistants as a Method of Countering Implicit Bias

Research Project

Project/Area Number 21K18005
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists

Allocation TypeMulti-year Fund
Review Section Basic Section 90010:Design-related
Research InstitutionTokyo Institute of Technology

Principal Investigator

シーボーン ケイティー  東京工業大学, 工学院, 准教授 (70831262)

Project Period (FY) 2021-04-01 – 2025-03-31
Project Status Granted (Fiscal Year 2023)
Budget Amount *help
¥4,680,000 (Direct Cost: ¥3,600,000、Indirect Cost: ¥1,080,000)
Fiscal Year 2023: ¥1,170,000 (Direct Cost: ¥900,000、Indirect Cost: ¥270,000)
Fiscal Year 2022: ¥1,560,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,200,000、Indirect Cost: ¥360,000)
Fiscal Year 2021: ¥1,950,000 (Direct Cost: ¥1,500,000、Indirect Cost: ¥450,000)
KeywordsHCI / computer voice / implicit bias / ageism / user experience / human-agent interaction / voice perceptions / older adults / voice assistant / voice ux / usability / intergenerational / Computer voice / Voice asssistants / Inclusive design / Implicit bias / Older adults
Outline of Research at the Start

"Older adult" voice assistants will be explored as a novel method of reducing the cognitive bias of implicit ageism. To this end, three longitudinal experimental studies will be conducted on: (1) voice assistants that use "aged" voices with older adults; (2) voice assistants that use the older adult participant's own voice; and (3) voice assistants with "aged" voices used by younger age groups. Outcomes will include empirical evidence of attitude change and debiasing, a psychosocial model of impact, and design knowledge on "aged" machine voices for intergenerational populations.

Outline of Annual Research Achievements

Two new voices were created and evaluated. Results through perception studies and interviews with the voice actors indicated high technical and user experience quality. A new system combining an existing anti-misinformation metacognitive tool developed in the lab for Twitter/X (ELEMI) was created; later, a ChatGPT extension was added. A user study was conducted. However, due to poor user results and the instability of the platform, development on a new system began. Two journal papers were published to top-ranked, international, peer-reviewed venues in human-computer interaction: ACM CSUR and Wiley Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies. A spin-off project on kawaii vocalics was developed and accepted for Grants-in-Aid.

Current Status of Research Progress
Current Status of Research Progress

3: Progress in research has been slightly delayed.

Reason

Due to COVID-19 and other intervening factors, we were granted a year extension. This has been invaluable for progress. We are on track to finish the final system, run the final user study, and conduct the field study. However, one student member is refusing to complete the promised work on the measurement part after graduation; the other team members will need to do it, causing serious delays. Still, we have completed all other tasks outlined in the grant proposal.

Strategy for Future Research Activity

We aim to complete the main studies by September 2024. We will begin to transition work to the new, follow-up grant at that time.

Report

(3 results)
  • 2023 Research-status Report
  • 2022 Research-status Report
  • 2021 Research-status Report
  • Research Products

    (10 results)

All 2024 2023 2022 Other

All Journal Article (7 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 5 results,  Peer Reviewed: 5 results,  Open Access: 3 results) Presentation (1 results) (of which Int'l Joint Research: 1 results) Remarks (2 results)

  • [Journal Article] Coimagining the Future of Voice Assistants with Cultural Sensitivity2024

    • Author(s)
      Seaborn Katie、Sawa Yuto、Watanabe Mizuki
    • Journal Title

      Human Behavior and Emerging Technologies

      Volume: 2024 Pages: 1-21

    • DOI

      10.1155/2024/3238737

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Qualitative Approaches to Voice UX2024

    • Author(s)
      Seaborn Katie、Urakami Jacqueline、Pennefather Peter、Miyake Norihisa P.
    • Journal Title

      ACM Computing Surveys

      Volume: - Issue: 12 Pages: 1-34

    • DOI

      10.1145/3658666

    • Related Report
      2023 Research-status Report
  • [Journal Article] Can voice assistants sound cute? Towards a model of kawaii vocalics2023

    • Author(s)
      Katie Seaborn, Somang Nam, Julia Keckeis, Tatsuya Itagaki
    • Journal Title

      2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

      Volume: n/a Pages: 1-7

    • DOI

      10.1145/3544549.3585656

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Right for the Job or Opposites Attract? Exploring Cross-Generational User Experiences with “Younger” and “Older” Voice Assistants2023

    • Author(s)
      Yuto Sawa, Julia Keckeis, Katie Seaborn
    • Journal Title

      2023 DIS Conference on Designing Interactive Systems

      Volume: n/a

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Dis/immersion in mindfulness meditation with a wandering voice assistant2023

    • Author(s)
      Bonhee Ku, Tatsuya Itagaki, Katie Seaborn
    • Journal Title

      2023 CHI Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems

      Volume: n/a Pages: 1-6

    • DOI

      10.1145/3544549.3585627

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Not Only WEIRD but "Uncanny"? A Systematic Review of Diversity in Human-Robot Interaction Research2023

    • Author(s)
      Katie Seaborn, Giulia Barbareschi, Shruti Chandra
    • Journal Title

      International Journal of Social Robotics

      Volume: n/a Issue: 11 Pages: 1-30

    • DOI

      10.1007/s12369-023-00968-4

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Journal Article] Nonverbal Cues in Human-Robot Interaction: A Communication Studies Perspective2023

    • Author(s)
      Jacqueline Urakami, Katie Seaborn
    • Journal Title

      ACM Transactions on Human-Robot Interaction

      Volume: n/a Issue: 2 Pages: 1-21

    • DOI

      10.1145/3570169

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report
    • Peer Reviewed / Open Access / Int'l Joint Research
  • [Presentation] Localizing the Ambivalent Ageism Scale for Japan2022

    • Author(s)
      Sawa, Y., & Seaborn, K.
    • Organizer
      8th Asian Conference on Aging & Gerontology
    • Related Report
      2021 Research-status Report
    • Int'l Joint Research
  • [Remarks] Voice Against Bias @ OSF

    • URL

      https://osf.io/wrxgv/

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report 2021 Research-status Report
  • [Remarks] Kawaii Vocalics @ OSF

    • URL

      https://osf.io/yjrcd/

    • Related Report
      2022 Research-status Report

URL: 

Published: 2021-04-28   Modified: 2024-12-25  

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