What the study found
The study found that photorealistic embodied conversational agents, which are virtual agents that talk with users, can improve the quality of survey responses and increase engagement. Satisfaction did not show a significant change.
Why the authors say this matters
The authors say these findings support new AI-driven embodiment-based methods for turning online surveys into more natural interactions that resemble in-person interviews. The study suggests this could help address careless responding and satisficing in online surveys.
What the researchers tested
The researchers introduced a method called Virtual Agent Interviewer and validated it in a randomized, between-subjects study. The study used 80 participants from the U.K. general population, who either talked to a voice-based agent with an animated video avatar or interacted with a chatbot.
What worked and what didn't
Across 2,265 conversation responses from surveys based on two self-reported psychometric tests, statistical comparison showed significant gains in how informative and detailed responses were, along with higher and more time-efficient engagement. The study found no significant change in satisfaction. Qualitative analysis linked this to personal preferences, turn-taking delays, and Uncanny Valley reactions, which is a discomfort some people feel toward almost-human-looking avatars.
What to keep in mind
This is described as a proof-of-concept study, so the findings are limited to the tested setup and sample. The abstract does not describe additional limitations beyond the qualitative reasons offered for the lack of change in satisfaction.
Key points
- Embodied conversational agents improved the informativeness and detail of survey responses.
- Engagement was higher and more time-efficient with the embodied agent.
- Satisfaction did not change significantly.
- The study compared a voice-based animated avatar with a chatbot.
- Qualitative findings pointed to personal preferences, turn-taking delays, and Uncanny Valley reactions.
Disclosure
- Research title:
- Embodied conversational agents improved response detail and engagement
- Authors:
- Matus Krajcovic, Peter Demcak, Eduard Kuric
- Institutions:
- Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Institute of Experimental Pharmacology and Toxicology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava
- Publication date:
- 2026-06-29
- OpenAlex record:
- View
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