Short answer

When designing virtual coaches for older adults, prioritize multimodal interactions that offer complementary information and reinforce the message through multiple channels to enhance the user's sense of connection and presence.

Field: User-Centred Design
Source: Frontiers in Computer Science (2023)
Method: Mixed-methods (quantitative online survey and face-to-face experiment, qualitative analysis)
Sample: 74 participants (59 online, 15 face-to-face)
Evidence: Moderate effect

Combining multiple interface outputs, particularly in a redundant-complementary manner, fosters a stronger perceived relationship and a greater sense of social presence between older adults and conversational virtual coaches. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2023 study published in Frontiers in Computer Science. Using Mixed-methods (quantitative online survey and face-to-face experiment, qualitative analysis) with 74 participants (59 online, 15 face-to-face), researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: When designing virtual coaches for older adults, prioritize multimodal interactions that offer complementary information and reinforce the message through multiple channels to enhance the user's sense of connection and presence.

Study

User-Centred DesignRecentModerate effect

Multimodal interfaces enhance perceived relationship and social presence with virtual coaches for older adults.

Frontiers in Computer Science · 2023

Key Findings

01Multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly improved the eCoach-user relationship and social presence compared to single-interface outputs in an online study.
02In a face-to-face experiment, multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly increased social presence compared to a chatbot-only interface.

Application

Design takeaway

How to apply

When developing virtual assistants or coaches for older adults, consider integrating both visual (e.g., chatbot interface) and auditory or even physical (e.g., tangible coach) outputs that work together to convey information and build rapport.

Project actions

01Consider how different sensory inputs can be combined to enhance user experience.
02Investigate how redundancy in information delivery can improve comprehension and engagement for specific user groups.

Method & Evidence

AimWhat is the effect of different multimodal interface output combinations (single-interface vs. multi-interface redundant-complementary) of a conversational virtual coach on older adults' perception of the eCoach-user relationship (closeness, commitment, complementarity) and their feeling of social presence?

MethodMixed-methods (quantitative online survey and face-to-face experiment, qualitative analysis)

ProcedureParticipants interacted with a conversational virtual coach using different interface output combinations (single-interface chatbot, single-interface tangible coach, multi-interface redundant-complementary). Their perceptions of the eCoach-user relationship and social presence were then measured.

Sample74 participants (59 online, 15 face-to-face)

ContextHuman-computer interaction, virtual coaches, older adults

Variables

IVInterface output combination (single-interface vs. multi-interface redundant-complementary)

DVeCoach-user relationship (closeness, commitment, complementarity), social presence

CVType of conversational agent (chatbot, tangible coach), study setting (online vs. face-to-face)

Strengths & Limitations

Strengths

+Investigated both relationship and social presence, key aspects of user experience.
+Utilized a mixed-methods approach to gather both quantitative and qualitative data.

Limitations

The study involved relatively small sample sizes, especially in the face-to-face experiment, which might limit the generalizability of the findings.

Reliability & validity

The study's reliability could be influenced by the varying results between the online and face-to-face experiments. Validity is supported by the use of established measures for relationship and social presence, but the specific implementation of the interfaces could impact construct validity.

Think critically

To what extent do the benefits of multimodal interfaces for older adults outweigh the increased complexity and potential cost of development?

Design Principles

"Employ redundant-complementary multimodal interfaces to foster stronger user relationships and social presence in digital interactions, particularly with vulnerable or specific user groups."

This research highlights the importance of considering how older adults interact with digital systems. By leveraging multimodal interfaces, designers can create more engaging and effective virtual coaches that better meet the social and relational needs of this demographic.

What This Means for Your Design

For older people using virtual assistants, using more than one way to communicate (like talking and showing on screen) makes the assistant feel more like a real helper and friend.

How to use in your project

1.Reference this study when discussing the benefits of multimodal design for user engagement and relationship building in your design project.
2.Use the findings to justify the choice of interface modalities in your proposed solution.

Add to My Project

Quick Cite

Paragraph starter

This research by El Kamali et al. (2023) demonstrates that employing multimodal interaction strategies, specifically a redundant-complementary approach, can significantly enhance the perceived relationship and social presence between older adults and conversational virtual coaches. This suggests that integrating multiple interface outputs, such as combining chatbot text with auditory feedback or a tangible interface, is crucial for fostering a more engaging and empathetic user experience for this demographic.

Source

Frontiers in Computer Science

Older adults' perspectives on multimodal interaction with a conversational virtual coach

journal · 2023

View source

Questions About This Research

What does the research say about multimodal interfaces enhance perceived relationship and social presence with virtual coaches for older adults?: When designing virtual coaches for older adults, prioritize multimodal interactions that offer complementary information and reinforce the message through multiple channels to enhance the user's sense of connection and presence. Evidence: Frontiers in Computer Science (2023).
Why does "Multimodal interfaces enhance perceived relationship and social presence with virtual coaches for older adults." matter for design?: This research highlights the importance of considering how older adults interact with digital systems. By leveraging multimodal interfaces, designers can create more engaging and effective virtual coaches that better meet the social and relational needs of this demographic.
How can designers apply this research?: When designing virtual coaches for older adults, prioritize multimodal interactions that offer complementary information and reinforce the message through multiple channels to enhance the user's sense of connection and presence.
What were the main findings?: Multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly improved the eCoach-user relationship and social presence compared to single-interface outputs in an online study.. In a face-to-face experiment, multi-interface redundant-complementary output significantly increased social presence compared to a chatbot-only interface.
What research method was used?: Mixed-methods (quantitative online survey and face-to-face experiment, qualitative analysis) with 74 participants (59 online, 15 face-to-face).
How strong is the evidence?: Evidence strength is rated Moderate effect, based on a 2023 journal from Frontiers in Computer Science.
What should I do differently in my next project?: When developing virtual assistants or coaches for older adults, consider integrating both visual (e.g., chatbot interface) and auditory or even physical (e.g., tangible coach) outputs that work together to convey information and build rapport.
What are the limitations?: Differences in study settings (online vs. face-to-face) yielded varying degrees of significant results, suggesting context is a crucial factor.