Perspective Taking Reflects Beliefs About Partner Sophistication: Modern Computer Partners Versus Basic Computer and Human Partners

Abstract

We investigate partner effects on spatial perspective taking behavior in listeners, comparing behavior with a human versus a computer partner (Experiments 1 and 2), and with computer partners of different perceived capabilities (Experiment 3). Participants responded to spoken instructions from their partner which could be interpreted egocentrically (from their own perspective) or othercentrically (from their partner's perspective). In contrast to earlier work, we found that participants were more egocentric with a computer than a human partner. Participants were also more egocentric with a computer partner that appeared more modern and capable, compared to one that appeared outdated and limited in ability. Our results show that perspective taking behavior is sensitive to information about one's partner; in particular, listeners consider their partner's potential ability to collaborate, adjusting their egocentric tendencies accordingly. Moreover, we highlight what appears to be a shift in listeners' expectations regarding computers' collaborative capabilities, leading to greater willingness to push the burden of perspective taking onto a computer partner.

Beliefs About the Speaker’s Reasoning Ability Influence Pragmatic Interpretation: Children and Adults as Speakers

“…Participants’ explanations became more egocentric, presumably because they ascribed greater cooperativity to human partners and expected them to shoulder more of the work in communication. In a more recent visual perspective taking study, Loy and Demberg ( 2023 ) also found that participants descriptions changed when they were interacting with a computer partner, but in the opposite direction than in Duran et al ( 2011 )’s study: participants behaved more egocentrically with a computer than with a human partner, and more egocentrically with a modern computer than with an older computer. The difference in the findings of these two studies may be explained by a shift in people’s perception of competence of artificial agents.…”

Beliefs About the Speaker’s Reasoning Ability Influence Pragmatic Interpretation: Children and Adults as Speakers

“…Participants’ explanations became more egocentric, presumably because they ascribed greater cooperativity to human partners and expected them to shoulder more of the work in communication. In a more recent visual perspective taking study, Loy and Demberg ( 2023 ) also found that participants descriptions changed when they were interacting with a computer partner, but in the opposite direction than in Duran et al ( 2011 )’s study: participants behaved more egocentrically with a computer than with a human partner, and more egocentrically with a modern computer than with an older computer. The difference in the findings of these two studies may be explained by a shift in people’s perception of competence of artificial agents.…”

Spontaneous perspective-taking in real-time language comprehension: evidence from eye-movements and grain of coordination

“…If perspective-taking is strategic, participants might be less inclined to take perspective when they believe they are interacting with a pre-programmed computer partner, as they would be less motivated and find it unnecessary. Indeed, spatial perspective-taking tasks have found more egocentric behavior in describing and interpreting spatial directions when the partner is a computer 27,28 . If, however, perspective-taking is automatic and spontaneous, participants should consider perspective differences regardless of partner type.…”

Beliefs About the Speaker’s Reasoning Ability Influence Pragmatic Interpretation: Children and Adults as Speakers

“…Participants’ explanations became more egocentric, presumably because they ascribed greater cooperativity to human partners and expected them to shoulder more of the work in communication. In a more recent visual perspective taking study, Loy and Demberg ( 2023 ) also found that participants descriptions changed when they were interacting with a computer partner, but in the opposite direction than in Duran et al ( 2011 )’s study: participants behaved more egocentrically with a computer than with a human partner, and more egocentrically with a modern computer than with an older computer. The difference in the findings of these two studies may be explained by a shift in people’s perception of competence of artificial agents.…”

Spontaneous perspective-taking in real-time language comprehension: evidence from eye-movements and grain of coordination

“…If perspective-taking is strategic, participants might be less inclined to take perspective when they believe they are interacting with a pre-programmed computer partner, as they would be less motivated and find it unnecessary. Indeed, spatial perspective-taking tasks have found more egocentric behavior in describing and interpreting spatial directions when the partner is a computer 27,28 . If, however, perspective-taking is automatic and spontaneous, participants should consider perspective differences regardless of partner type.…”

Beliefs About the Speaker’s Reasoning Ability Influence Pragmatic Interpretation: Children and Adults as Speakers

“…Participants’ explanations became more egocentric, presumably because they ascribed greater cooperativity to human partners and expected them to shoulder more of the work in communication. In a more recent visual perspective taking study, Loy and Demberg ( 2023 ) also found that participants descriptions changed when they were interacting with a computer partner, but in the opposite direction than in Duran et al ( 2011 )’s study: participants behaved more egocentrically with a computer than with a human partner, and more egocentrically with a modern computer than with an older computer. The difference in the findings of these two studies may be explained by a shift in people’s perception of competence of artificial agents.…”

Spontaneous perspective-taking in real-time language comprehension: evidence from eye-movements and grain of coordination

“…If perspective-taking is strategic, participants might be less inclined to take perspective when they believe they are interacting with a pre-programmed computer partner, as they would be less motivated and find it unnecessary. Indeed, spatial perspective-taking tasks have found more egocentric behavior in describing and interpreting spatial directions when the partner is a computer 27,28 . If, however, perspective-taking is automatic and spontaneous, participants should consider perspective differences regardless of partner type.…”