Dialogue with a conversational agent promotes children’s story comprehension via enhancing engagement

Abstract

Dialogic reading, when children are read a storybook and engaged in relevant conversation, is a powerful strategy for fostering language development. With the development of artificial intelligence, conversational agents can engage children in elements of dialogic reading. This study examined whether a conversational agent can improve children's story comprehension and engagement, as compared to an adult reading partner. Using a 2 (dialogic reading or non-dialogic reading) × 2 (agent or human) factorial design, a total of 117 three-to six-year-olds (50% Female, 37% White, 31% Asian, 21% multi-ethnic) were randomly assigned into one of the four conditions. Results revealed that a conversational agent can replicate the benefits of dialogic reading with a human partner by enhancing children's narrative-relevant vocalizations, reducing irrelevant vocalizations, and improving story comprehension.

Teaching Preschoolers Theory of Mind Skills With Mobile Games

“…Similarly, Xu et al (2021) and Russo-Johnson et al (2017) have demonstrated the ways in which interactivity via an app or conversational agent can support vocabulary learning and story comprehension, suggesting that interactive technology could also facilitate ToM abilities. Recent work finds that artificialintelligent (AI) agents (e.g., Alexa) supports preschoolers' deeper thinking and understanding (Xu et al, 2021). Xu et al (2021) applied a sociocultural approach to create AI-mediated experiences to support children's language development through dialogic reading.…”

“…Although digital co-play is believed to be instrumental for preschoolers and recommended by experts like the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP Council on Communications and Media, 2016), children often engage in touchscreen media independently (see Ewin et al, 2021 for review). Promisingly, researchers are increasingly finding that digital games can function as social partners or "more knowledgeable others" to young players (e.g., Richert et al, 2011;Xu et al, 2021). Similarly, Xu et al (2021) and Russo-Johnson et al (2017) have demonstrated the ways in which interactivity via an app or conversational agent can support vocabulary learning and story comprehension, suggesting that interactive technology could also facilitate ToM abilities.…”

“…Promisingly, researchers are increasingly finding that digital games can function as social partners or "more knowledgeable others" to young players (e.g., Richert et al, 2011;Xu et al, 2021). Similarly, Xu et al (2021) and Russo-Johnson et al (2017) have demonstrated the ways in which interactivity via an app or conversational agent can support vocabulary learning and story comprehension, suggesting that interactive technology could also facilitate ToM abilities. Recent work finds that artificialintelligent (AI) agents (e.g., Alexa) supports preschoolers' deeper thinking and understanding (Xu et al, 2021).…”

“…Recent work finds that artificialintelligent (AI) agents (e.g., Alexa) supports preschoolers' deeper thinking and understanding (Xu et al, 2021). Xu et al (2021) applied a sociocultural approach to create AI-mediated experiences to support children's language development through dialogic reading. They found that AI-powered conversational agents can indeed function as "more knowledgeable others" and provide the same benefits as dialogic reading with adult human partners.…”

“…Finally, in addition to promoting child-parent media coengagement, future studies should continue focusing on digital "knowledgeable others" to combat SES-related disparities in child language skills and ToM understanding. This might take the form of AI-conversation partners, such as in the study by Xu et al (2021) on "dialogic reading" but be programmed to promote the use of mentalistic language present a promising avenue for future research. As the development and accessibility of AI, interactive digital platforms, intelligent agents, and multiplayer devices grow, so do the opportunities to use them in helping to shape children's social-linguistic environments and influencing ToM skills.…”