Graduation Year
2003
Document Type
Thesis
Degree
M.A.
Degree Granting Department
Psychology
Major Professor
Michael D. Coovert, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Carnot Nelson, Ph.D.
Committee Member
Doug Rohrer, Ph.D.
Keywords
Computer Supported Cooperative Work, Locus of Control, Microcomputer Playfulness, Social Responses to Computers, Mindlessness
Abstract
This study investigates whether the social facilitation effect takes place when a person performs a computerized task that includes an animated intelligent agent (IA). The moderating effects of two individual differences, locus of control (LOC) and microcomputer playfulness (MCP), are tested for. It was proposed that an IA's presence would cause participants to exhibit this effect and that LOC and MCP would moderate a participant's arousal, measured as state anxiety, such that those possessing an internal LOC and those exhibiting high MCP would experience less arousal when performing computerized tasks with an IA present. Data was analyzed using a 2 (task difficulty) x 4 (intelligent agent) repeated measures MANCOVA. Most hypotheses are not supported, however MCP does appear to moderate arousal depending on the behavior of the IA.
Scholar Commons Citation
Read, Jason R., "Your Computer is Watching You: Intelligent Agents and Social Facilitation" (2003). USF Tampa Graduate Theses and Dissertations.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/etd/1456
