The Optimum Rate of Mimicry in Human-Agent Interaction

The importance of building rapport between a human and an agent is increasing with the burgeoning development of robot technology. Several recent studies have focused on the chameleon effect, using psychological concepts to investigate human-agent interaction. However, the validity of the chameleon effect in human-agent interaction is controversial. Few studies have explored the influence of individual cognitive ability and the rate of mimicry on the human-agent interaction. We explored the optimal rate of mimicry and the relationship between mimicry rate and individual empathic ability. We controlled the amount of agent mimicry and examined the effect on participants classified as high- and low-perspective takers. We found that, overall, participants preferred agents that mimicked their behavior 83% of the time. Moreover, high-, but not low-, perspective takers tended to be influenced by the mimicry rate.