Exploring Users’ Mental Models for Anthropomorphized Voice Assistants through Psychological Approaches

Various perspectives are being studied to increase the usability and persistence of voice assistants (VA) as the use is rapidly expanding to various domains. Particularly, many studies note that users personify VA. Systems designed to suit users differing mental models while using specific systems can provide a positive user experience, increasing usability and persistence. Therefore, we tried to structure the mental model of users using personified VA and proposed these results as an important factor to consider in personifying VA. To determine important factors to consider in personifying VA, this research structures the mental model of users using personified VA. Furthermore, we used two types of psychological approaches that were not applied in previous studies to analyze users’ mental models. Using two types of psychological approaches that were not applied in previous studies, this research analyzed users’ mental models. In Study 1, each user’s thinking process is derived through ZMET (Zaltman metaphor elicitation techniques as a consensus map. Afterward, in Study 2, correlations between the key components analyzed in Study 1 are validated through RG (repertory grid technique). As a result, the research found that there are three different psychological structures. The first structure is of users who feel human-like empathy and warmth in the use of VA. Meanwhile, the second structure is of users who seek help with problem-solving. The last is the psychological structure of users who regarded anthropomorphic VA as just a machine. Users with this mental model expect the potential for development as a machine rather than the personification of VA. Ultimately, this research is meaningful in that it analyzes each user’s psychological mechanism for personified VA through a psychological approach and derives three new mental models in detail.

Researching learners’ perceptions: The use of the repertory grid technique

This article examines the use of the repertory grid technique as a method to investigate learner perceptions in language education research. An important issue raised in this article concerns how far a researcher’s agenda may be unintentionally imposed onto a research study which is investigating learners’ perceptions, and how far the ensuing data may provide an accurate representation of the learners’ viewpoints. A discussion of conventional research methods in perception research indicates the limitations of many structured research instruments such as questionnaires, surveys and interviews with regard to gaining reliable insights into learners’ views. The article considers the potential of using the repertory grid technique in perception research in terms of minimizing researcher influence and obtaining data that reflects learners’ perceptions. Taking a research study on the perceptions of secondary school learners of the language classroom as an example, the article demonstrates how building repertory grids can reveal insights into the learners’ thought processes and give the researchers access into the different ways learners view the classroom. The article also considers some issues in terms of data analysis and the interpreting of language data. It concludes that the repertory grid technique is a useful approach in perception research which can provide valuable data that is revealing of participants’ actual views.

PRE-SERVICE TEACHERS’ COGNITIVE CONSTRUCTS REGARDING THE CHARACTERISTICS OF A GOOD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGIES ACADEMICIANS

This paper focuses on revealing and modeling the cognitive constructs of pre-service teachers regarding the characteristics of a good IT academician. The research was carried out via the exploratory sequential design with the participation of 42 volunteer pre-service teachers enrolled in the Department of Computer and Instructional Technology. The data were obtained through the structured interview according to the repertory grid technique. The data obtained were analysed by taking into consideration similarities and common features. 426 cognitive constructs were found. Cognitive constructs were collected under 11 sub-categories. These categories were also divided into three main categories: attitudes and values, professional knowledge, and professional skills. As a result, essential constructs within the model of a good academician include the relationship among students, knowledge of field education, and field knowledge. The model revealed a whole set of characteristics rather than a few characteristics of a good IT academician. The model can be used to evaluate IT academicians and to explain the relationship among their characteristics.

Listener-Position and Orientation Dependency of Auditory Perception in an Enclosed Space: Elicitation of Salient Attributes

This paper presents a subjective study conducted on the perception of auditory attributes depending on listener position and head orientation in an enclosed space. Two elicitation experiments were carried out using the repertory grid technique—in-situ and laboratory experiments—which aimed to identify perceptual attributes among 10 different combinations of the listener’s positions and head orientations in a concert hall. It was found that, between the in-situ and laboratory experiments, the listening positions and head orientations were clustered identically. Ten salient perceptual attributes were identified from the data obtained from the laboratory experiment. Whilst these included conventional attributes such as ASW (apparent source width) and LEV (listener envelopment), new attributes such as PRL (perceived reverb loudness), ARW (apparent reverb width) and Reverb Direction were identified, and they are hypothesised to be sub-attributes of LEV (listener envelopment). Timbral characteristics such as Reverb Brightness and Echo Brightness were also identified as salient attributes, which are considered to potentially contribute to the overall perceived clarity.