Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: The purpose of this study was to examine some of the boundary conditions of the Media Equation hypothesis, which states that people treat media like real-life. To test this, participants were made to believe that their opponent in a computer game of air hockey was a human or a computer agent. With this manipulation we had predicted that a positive evaluation by a human would be considered more accurate than a positive evaluation by a computer. The data amply support this prediction. We had also predicted that respondents would resist a negative evaluation by a human more than they would a negative evaluation by a computer, in an effort to save face. The data, however, do not support this contention. The viability of social presence as an explanatory mechanism was examined. The results were encouraging, though not overwhelmingly in favor of a strong role of social presence, at least in the form in which it is conceptualized in this paper.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: This study extended the computers as social actors perspective and further asked the question: What kind of relationship people have developed with their computers. An online survey was conducted with 86 college students participated. The findings indicated that people might develop diverse relationships with their computers. The computer-computer relationship types identified in this study were: social relationship, working relationship, acquaintance, mixed relationship and enemy. The natures of these relationships were: warm, love-hate, neutral and cold. People also developed emotional ties with their computers. The interactions between human-computer relationship type, human-computer relationship nature, computer use and computer activities were examined. The finding suggested that human-computer relationship type and nature do influence computer use. This study proposed a new perspective on human-computer interaction. Theoretical and practical implications were discussed.

Publication Type: Roundtable
Abstract: Using self-report measures of attitudinal and behavioral self-control, this study tests the applicability of Gottfredson and Hirschi’s theory of low self-control as it applies to self-reported computer crime offending among a college student sample. Computer crime was found to be relatively common, with more than ninety-five percent of the sample reported having engaged in some form of illegal computer activity. The results offer moderate support for Gottfredson and Hirschi’s general theory of crime, finding direct and positive effects for self-control and opportunity on computer offending, but not for the interaction between self-control and opportunity. The prevalence of computer-related offending is discussed in the context of the growing need to address the serious and widespread nature of computer crime. The study concludes by discussing the empirical and theoretical fit between the components of low self control, opportunity, and computer crime, as well as directions for future research.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Review Method: Peer Reviewed
Abstract: According to Election Data Services the percentage of electronic voting machines per county doubled between 1998 and 2002 to 16 percent-, yet a full replacement of the traditional voting procedure is very unlikely. In its essence, an electronic voting machine is a computer assisted self-interviewing device (CASI) giving the voter the opportunity to review and change his/her vote before submitting it. The different types of voting machines allow for different kinds of interaction, such as using a touch screen technology, using a dial wheel, touching a paper panel, or pressing a button on an LCD screen. Each machine provides feedback for blank ballots and under-voting and prevents selecting more choices than the maximum allowed. Some machines even have advanced functions such as increasing the font for visually impaired voters and/or allowing for listening of the voting options rather than reading. The common features electronic voting machines share with CASI and ACASI devices allow for theoretical and empirical predictions of the advantages and disadvantages this technology can provide. The paper presents an overview of the different types of voting machines and based on established theories and results from CASI and ACASI studies, examines and compares characteristics of the machines currently used and computer-human interaction mechanisms, their potential effects, and unexplored applications. Furthermore, possibilities such as prediction of candidates’ name order effect, already existing in the literature, and computer literacy effect on voting are discussed.

Publication Type: Conference Paper/Unpublished Manuscript
Abstract: Testing the assumption that more anthropomorphism in computer representations elicits more social responses from people, a between-participants experiment (N=168) manipulated 12 computer agents to represent four levels of anthropomorphism: low, medium, high, and real human images. Social responses were assessed with users’ social judgment and homophily perception of the agents, conformity in a social choice dilemma task, and competency and trustworthiness ratings of the agents. Linear polynomial trend analyses revealed significant linear trends for almost all the measures. As the agent became more anthropomorphic to being human, it received more social responses from users.