Relational Agents for the Homeless with Tuberculosis Experience: Providing Social Support Through Human–agent Relationships

Abstract

In human–computer interaction (HCI) research, relational agents (RAs) are increasingly used to improve social support for vulnerable groups including people exposed to stigmas, alienation, and isolation. However, technical support for tuberculosis (TB) patients, one such vulnerable group, remains insufficient due to the nature of the infectious disease and difficulties in accessing the homeless community. To derive design considerations for developing RAs targeting homeless TB patients, we conducted an empirical study on the patients. Data were collected through participatory observations and interviews and were processed using deductive thematic analysis. The patients’ environmental and behavioral characteristics were classified, which showed that understanding these factors in the design of an RA is important because the patients’ perception, attitudes, and expectations towards the agent are shaped by (and also shape) their environmental and behavioral characteristics, which consequently affect the nature of relationships formed between them. Therefore, we drew the following design considerations: (1) protection of privacy is a prerequisite to the use of an RA for homeless TB patients and can be addressed from both short-term (technical) and long-term (sociotechnical) perspectives; (2) the homeless group emphasized affective support from the agent, suggesting that relationships per se are already valuable to people who have been socially isolated and stigmatized; (3) consideration of the past memories in selecting social cues can facilitate the exchange of affective expressions in user–agent interaction; and (4) an RA should clarify to its interlocuters its identity as a machine to avoid confusing people with low technological literacy.