Empathic interaction with synthetic characters: the importance of similarity

Empathic interaction with synthetic characters enables users to build and maintain an emotional involvement that can result in stimulating novel interactions. Many factors impact on empathic interaction; here we focus on the role of ‘similarity’ in developing empathic relations. Evidence suggests that if a character is perceived as being similar to the user in appearance and behaviour, then greater empathic relations will emerge. To investigate this, 345 children aged 10-11 years interacted with FearNot (Fun with Empathic Agents to Reach Novel Outcomes in Teaching), a virtual world populated by synthetic characters involved in bullying scenarios. Children completed an Agent Evaluation Questionnaire, which enquired about perceptions of similarity and empathy with the characters. Results indicated that if children perceived that they were similar to the synthetic characters, greater empathy and liking was expressed. The implications for future design of synthetic characters are considered.