“…The 'computer as a proxy' argument is based on the notion that when an individual responds socially to a computer they are, in fact, responding to the machine as a human artefact. That is, the machine is merely a medium that embodies the responses of the producer or programmer (Nass and Steuer, 1993;Nass, Steuer et al, 1994a;Nass, Steuer et al, 1994b;Nass, Fogg and Moon, 1996;Nass and Moon, 2000;Sundar and Nass, 2000). Inherent in both the anthropomorphism and computer as proxy explanations is that individuals' social responses to technology are consistent with their beliefs about the technology: the computer is treated like a person because it either is perceived to be or perceived to represent a human being.…”