You are here

UCF Digital Collections ยป Honors Collection

REAL LONELINESS AND ARTIFICIAL COMPANIONSHIP: LOOKING FOR SOCIAL CONNECTIONS IN TECHNOLOGY

Download pdf | Full Screen View

Date Issued:
2017
Abstract/Description:
Loneliness among older adults is a problem with severe consequences to individual health, quality of life, cognitive capacity, and life-expectancy. Although approaches towards improving the quality and quantity of social relationships are the prevailing model of therapy, older adults may not always be able to form these relationships due to either personality factors, decreased mobility, or isolation. Intelligent personal assistants (IPAs), virtual agents, and social robotics offer an opportunity for the development of technology that could potentially serve as social companions to older adults. The present study explored whether an IPA could potentially be used as a social companion to older adults feeling lonely. Additionally, the research explored whether the device has the potential to generate social presence among both young and older adults. Results indicate that while the devices do show some social presence, participants rate the device low on some components of social presence, such as emotional contagion. This adversely affects the possibility of a social relationship between an older adult and the device. Analysis reveals ways to improve social presence in these devices.
Title: REAL LONELINESS AND ARTIFICIAL COMPANIONSHIP: LOOKING FOR SOCIAL CONNECTIONS IN TECHNOLOGY.
56 views
19 downloads
Name(s): Montalvo, Fernando L, Author
Smither, Janan, Committee Chair
University of Central Florida, Degree Grantor
Type of Resource: text
Date Issued: 2017
Publisher: University of Central Florida
Language(s): English
Abstract/Description: Loneliness among older adults is a problem with severe consequences to individual health, quality of life, cognitive capacity, and life-expectancy. Although approaches towards improving the quality and quantity of social relationships are the prevailing model of therapy, older adults may not always be able to form these relationships due to either personality factors, decreased mobility, or isolation. Intelligent personal assistants (IPAs), virtual agents, and social robotics offer an opportunity for the development of technology that could potentially serve as social companions to older adults. The present study explored whether an IPA could potentially be used as a social companion to older adults feeling lonely. Additionally, the research explored whether the device has the potential to generate social presence among both young and older adults. Results indicate that while the devices do show some social presence, participants rate the device low on some components of social presence, such as emotional contagion. This adversely affects the possibility of a social relationship between an older adult and the device. Analysis reveals ways to improve social presence in these devices.
Identifier: CFH2000186 (IID), ucf:46005 (fedora)
Note(s): 2017-05-01
B.S.
College of Sciences, Psychology
Bachelors
This record was generated from author submitted information.
Subject(s): Loneliness
Social Isolation
Social Robotics
Intelligent Personal Assistants
Social Presence
Anthropomorphism
Persistent Link to This Record: http://purl.flvc.org/ucf/fd/CFH2000186
Restrictions on Access: campus 2018-05-01
Host Institution: UCF

In Collections