Effects of Virtual Assistant Features on User Experience in Service Settings
Trial statusNot yet recruiting
Trial phaseNot applicable
Trial typeInterventional
Biological sexAll
Age18+
SponsorUniversity of Malaga
About this trial
This study examines how the characteristics and performance of virtual assistants influence user experience in service settings. Approximately 400 adults will interact with virtual assistants presented as avatars, chatbots, or voice assistants in simulated tourism, cultural, retail, or financial service situations.
Participants will be exposed to one or more experimental conditions that may differ in features such as communication style, language specificity, anthropomorphism, personalization, type of virtual assistant, level of immersion, or the presence of inaccurate responses or errors. After the interaction, participants will complete questionnaires about their perceptions, emotions, trust, satisfaction, acceptance of recommendations, and intention to use the virtual assistant.
During the experimental session, non-invasive methods may be used to measure visual attention and psychophysiological responses. These methods include eye tracking, electrodermal activity, electroencephalography, and automated facial expression analysis. Facial recordings will be used to analyze emotional expressions and will not be used to identify participants.
The study does not involve drugs, biological products, medical treatments, diagnostic procedures, or investigational medical devices. Its purpose is to improve scientific understanding of human interaction with artificial intelligence and virtual assistants in service environments.
Eligibility criteria
This trial accepts healthy volunteersQualifiers
Adults aged 18 years or older.
Able to understand the study information and provide informed consent.
Sufficient proficiency in Spanish to understand the instructions and complete the study questionnaires.
Able to interact with a computer-based virtual assistant and complete the experimental session.
Disqualifiers
Younger than 18 years.
Unable to understand the study information or provide valid informed consent.
Insufficient proficiency in Spanish to understand the instructions or complete the questionnaires.
A visual, hearing, motor, or other condition that prevents completion of the specific experimental task and cannot be accommodated by the study procedures.
Trial design
Design model
Parallel
Treatments tested in this trial
High Anthropomorphism
BehavioralThe virtual assistant will display a comparatively high level of human-like visual, vocal, or conversational characteristics, as operationalized in the experimental protocol.
Low Anthropomorphism
BehavioralThe virtual assistant will display a comparatively low level of human-like visual, vocal, or conversational characteristics, as operationalized in the experimental protocol.
Accurate Virtual Assistant Response
BehavioralThe virtual assistant will provide accurate, relevant, and contextually appropriate information during the simulated service interaction.
Inaccurate Virtual Assistant Response
BehavioralThe virtual assistant will provide a predefined inaccurate or contextually inappropriate response during the simulated service interaction. The error will be standardized across participants assigned to this condition and will not concern medical, safety-related, or other high-risk information.
Treatment groups
400 Participants
are divided into 4 treatment groupsGroup A: High Anthropomorphism and Accurate ResponseExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group B: High Anthropomorphism and Inaccurate ResponseExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group C: Low Anthropomorphism and Accurate ResponseExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Group D: Low Anthropomorphism and Inaccurate ResponseExperimental treatment 2 interventions
Trial outcomes
Primary outcomes
1
Trust in the Virtual Assistant
Trust in the virtual assistant will be assessed immediately after the interaction using a pre-specified multi-item questionnaire. Participants will rate each item on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). An overall trust score will be calculated as the mean of the completed items. Higher scores indicate greater trust in the virtual assistant.
Time frame
Immediately after the virtual assistant interaction, during the same experimental sessionSecondary outcomes
1
User Satisfaction With the Virtual Assistant
User satisfaction will be assessed immediately after the interaction using a pre-specified multi-item questionnaire. Items will be rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The satisfaction score will be calculated as the mean of the completed items. Higher scores indicate greater satisfaction.
Time frame
Immediately after the virtual assistant interaction, during the same experimental session2
Intention to Use the Virtual Assistant
Participants' intention to use a similar virtual assistant in the future will be assessed using a pre-specified multi-item questionnaire. Items will be rated on a 7-point Likert scale ranging from 1 (strongly disagree) to 7 (strongly agree). The overall score will be calculated as the mean of the completed items. Higher scores indicate greater intention to use the virtual assistant.
Time frame
Immediately after the virtual assistant interaction, during the same experimental session3
Acceptance of the Virtual Assistant Recommendation
Acceptance of the recommendation provided by the virtual assistant will be assessed after the interaction using a 7-point response scale. Higher scores indicate greater willingness to accept or follow the recommendation.
Time frame
Immediately after the virtual assistant interaction, during the same experimental session4
Electrodermal Activity During the Virtual Assistant Interaction
Electrodermal activity will be recorded continuously during the interaction. Skin conductance responses associated with the experimental stimuli will be derived from the recorded signal and compared across experimental conditions. Greater skin conductance responses indicate greater physiological arousal.
Time frame
From the start to the end of the virtual assistant interaction, for up to 20 minutes.Sponsors and contacts
Click on the lead sponsor to view all of their trials.
Source ClinicalTrials.gov
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