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Article
Differences in perceptions of communication quality between a Twitterbot and human agent for information seeking and learning
Computers in Human Behavior (2016)
  • Chad Edwards, Western Michigan University
  • Austin Beattie
  • Autumn Edwards, Western Michigan University
  • Patric R Spence, University of Kentukcy
Abstract
Twitter’s design allows the implementation of automated programs that can submit tweets, interact with others, and generate content based on algorithms. Scholars and end-users alike refer to these programs to as “Twitterbots.” This two-part study explores the differences in perceptions of communication quality between a human agent and a Twitterbot in the areas of cognitive elaboration, information seeking, and learning outcomes. In accordance with the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) framework (Reeves & Nass, 1996), results suggest that participants learned the same from either a Twitterbot or a human agent. Results are discussed in light of CASA, as well as implications and directions for future studies.
Keywords
  • twitterbots,
  • casa,
  • learning,
  • twitter,
  • cognitive elaboration,
  • bot
Publication Date
2016
DOI
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.chb.2016.07.003
Citation Information
Chad Edwards, Austin Beattie, Autumn Edwards and Patric R Spence. "Differences in perceptions of communication quality between a Twitterbot and human agent for information seeking and learning" Computers in Human Behavior Vol. 65 (2016) p. 665 - 671
Available at: http://works.bepress.com/patric-spence/24/