Mindlessness and gaining compliance in Computer-Human Interaction

The computers are social actors (CASA) effect refers to the application of social rules when individuals interact with computers. Although the most plausible mechanism for CASA involves mindlessness, according to Langer, Blank, and Chanowitz’s (1978) original theorization, mindlessness stems from a motivational deficit during a compliance gaining interaction. Mindlessness occurs when individuals view their behavior as relatively unimportant or inconsequential. However, researchers often employ a cognitive deficit approach and examine the CASA effect as a perceptual rather than behavioral outcome. Moreover, previous findings suggest that computer agents may activate the norm of reciprocity to induce human compliance (Fogg & Nass, 1997). To test the mechanism of mindlessness and address possible methodological artifacts from past work on Computer–Human reciprocity, an experiment employing a 3 (request type: direct, placebic, or sufficient) × 3 (request size: large, medium, or small) design tested alternative hypotheses based on the cognitive and motivational explanations. The data are consistent the motivational hypothesis. In contrast to previous findings from Fogg and Nass, neither obligation, liking, nor mood correlated with compliance. The findings offer several directions for future work.

► We examine the mindlessness mechanism for the computer are social actors effect.
► Limited cognitive resources and motivational deficit serve as plausible explanations for mindlessness.
► Experimentally varying message reasoning and user motivation test each explanation.
► Data are consistent with the motivational explanation.
► Participants, on average, comply to computer agent request at a high rate (39%).