VICTECVirtual ICT with Empathic Characters

Sibylle EnzSibylle EnzUniversität BambergUniversität Bamberg

1st PROLEARN TWS 20041st PROLEARN TWS 20044/5 November 20044/5 November 2004

ContentContent

1.1. VICTEC: A new Approach for Anti-Bullying-VICTEC: A new Approach for Anti-Bullying-EducationEducation

1.1. What is VICTEC?What is VICTEC?

2.2. The Bullying ProblemThe Bullying Problem

3.3. The VICTEC Application: FearNot!The VICTEC Application: FearNot!

2.2. Empathy and its Role in FearNot!Empathy and its Role in FearNot!

3.3. Empathy and BelievabilityEmpathy and Believability

4.4. Expressive Behaviour and Creating EmpathyExpressive Behaviour and Creating Empathy

5.5. EvaluationEvaluation

1.1 What is VICTEC?1.1 What is VICTEC?

EU Framework V project Virtual ICT with EU Framework V project Virtual ICT with Empathic CharactersEmpathic Characters5 partners from UK, Portugal, Germany5 partners from UK, Portugal, GermanyGoal: applying virtual drama and 3D-Goal: applying virtual drama and 3D-graphically embodied characters to PSE graphically embodied characters to PSE (bullying)(bullying)Innovative: individual rather than collectiveInnovative: individual rather than collective

TThe Partnershe PartnersCentre for Virtual Environments, University of Centre for Virtual Environments, University of Salford (UK)Salford (UK)

University of Hertfordshire (UK)University of Hertfordshire (UK)

Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Instituto de Engenharia de Sistemas e Computadores (INESC-ID) (Portugal)Computadores (INESC-ID) (Portugal)

Autor, Tecnologias Multimédia S.A. (Portugal)Autor, Tecnologias Multimédia S.A. (Portugal)

Institute of Theoretical Psychology, University of Institute of Theoretical Psychology, University of Bamberg (Germany)Bamberg (Germany)

1.2 The Bullying Problem1.2 The Bullying Problem

Repeated negative action that occurs regularly over Repeated negative action that occurs regularly over time with the intention to hurt; imbalance of power time with the intention to hurt; imbalance of power between pupilsbetween pupils ( (Olweus, 1999)Olweus, 1999)

Main types of bullying behaviour:Main types of bullying behaviour:- direct/physicaldirect/physical (punching, kicking, …) (punching, kicking, …)- direct/verbaldirect/verbal (nasty name calling) (nasty name calling)- relational relational (social exclusion, rumour spreading) (social exclusion, rumour spreading)

Bullying roles: Bullying roles: bully, victim, bully-victim, bystanderbully, victim, bully-victim, bystander

No clear educational message No clear educational message knowledge about knowledge about social interaction, coping strategies, etc. neededsocial interaction, coping strategies, etc. needed

1.3 The VICTEC Application: 1.3 The VICTEC Application: FearNot!FearNot!

FFun with un with EEmpathic mpathic AAgents to gents to RReach each NNovel ovel OOutcomes in utcomes in TTeachingeaching

Virtual theatre application aimed at anti-bullying Virtual theatre application aimed at anti-bullying education for 8-12 age groupeducation for 8-12 age group

Bullying episode Interaction in library

1.3 The VICTEC Application: 1.3 The VICTEC Application: FearNot!FearNot!

Introduction (I): characters and schoolIntroduction (I): characters and school

Bullying episode (1-3)Bullying episode (1-3)

In between episodes: interaction with victim character in resource room In between episodes: interaction with victim character in resource room (coping)(coping)

Educational message (F): after end of episode 3 Educational message (F): after end of episode 3

Questionnaires on empathy and theory of mind (QA)Questionnaires on empathy and theory of mind (QA)

1 3I 2 FQA

COPE COPE

2 Empathy and it’s Role 2 Empathy and it’s Role in FearNot!in FearNot!

Empathy: Empathy: ””any process where the attended perception of the any process where the attended perception of the object’s state generates a state in the subject that is object’s state generates a state in the subject that is more applicable to the object’s state or situation than to more applicable to the object’s state or situation than to the subject’s own prior state or situation”the subject’s own prior state or situation”

(Preston and de Waal, (Preston and de Waal, 2002)2002)

CognitiveCognitive: understanding perceived object’s inner : understanding perceived object’s inner statestate

AffectiveAffective: feeling something due to perceived object’s : feeling something due to perceived object’s inner stateinner state

Mediation of empathic processes via situation Mediation of empathic processes via situation and/or expressionand/or expression

2 Empathy and it’s Role 2 Empathy and it’s Role in FearNot!in FearNot!

Importance of user engagement to reach the educational Importance of user engagement to reach the educational goalgoal

Via empathic relation between user and agentVia empathic relation between user and agent

By empathising with the victim, the user acts as invisible By empathising with the victim, the user acts as invisible friend during the interaction phases in between the friend during the interaction phases in between the bullying episodesbullying episodes

- User is not present in the episodesUser is not present in the episodes- Advice and support rather than god-like power to solve the Advice and support rather than god-like power to solve the

problemproblem

Empathy is promoted by believability of situation and Empathy is promoted by believability of situation and agent expressionagent expression

3 Empathy and Believability3 Empathy and Believability

Believability: Extent to which a human is willing to Believability: Extent to which a human is willing to suspend their disbelieve in a collection of graphical suspend their disbelieve in a collection of graphical pixels and to see it as an autonomous entity with its own pixels and to see it as an autonomous entity with its own internal life (Bates, 1994)internal life (Bates, 1994)

Believability via emotional expression: gesture, posture, Believability via emotional expression: gesture, posture, facial expression, tone of voicefacial expression, tone of voice

Interpreted by others as signalling an inner (affective) Interpreted by others as signalling an inner (affective) state state communication mechanism (understanding communication mechanism (understanding goals and motives of others)goals and motives of others)

Precondition for empathic processes between user and Precondition for empathic processes between user and agentagent

4 Expressive Behaviour and 4 Expressive Behaviour and Creating EmpathyCreating Empathy

Believability through naturalism?Believability through naturalism?- Dramatic approach: animated film & theatreDramatic approach: animated film & theatre- ““Uncanny valley”: behaviour can not meet the Uncanny valley”: behaviour can not meet the

high user expectations generated by high user expectations generated by naturalistic appearancenaturalistic appearance

Cartoon-like FearNot! charactersCartoon-like FearNot! characters

4 Expressive Behaviour and 4 Expressive Behaviour and Creating EmpathyCreating Empathy

Facial expressionsFacial expressions- Stereotyped expressions instead of Stereotyped expressions instead of

nodes on the facial meshnodes on the facial mesh- Triggered by the internal emotional Triggered by the internal emotional

system of the agentsystem of the agent

4 Expressive Behaviour and 4 Expressive Behaviour and Creating EmpathyCreating Empathy

PosturePosture- Exaggerated posture Exaggerated posture

indicates confident, happy, indicates confident, happy, sad, etc. moodsad, etc. mood

VoiceVoice- Very difficult to solve with unscripted dramasVery difficult to solve with unscripted dramas- Voices constructed from pre-recorded human Voices constructed from pre-recorded human

input: large real-time data base in conflict with 3D input: large real-time data base in conflict with 3D real time rendering systemreal time rendering system

4 Expressive Behaviour and 4 Expressive Behaviour and Creating EmpathyCreating Empathy

Realisation of expression in FearNot!Realisation of expression in FearNot!- Unscripted drama: action (expressive behaviour) is Unscripted drama: action (expressive behaviour) is

generated by interaction between agentsgenerated by interaction between agents- Agent reacts to an event/object following appraisal Agent reacts to an event/object following appraisal

rules (Ortony, Clore & Collins, 1988)rules (Ortony, Clore & Collins, 1988) immediate immediate reactions and goalsreactions and goals

- Influence of memory and personality (bullying Influence of memory and personality (bullying types)types)

- Emotional expression is triggered by a rather Emotional expression is triggered by a rather sophisticated emotional model sophisticated emotional model coherent coherent behaviour and empathy towards the agentbehaviour and empathy towards the agent

5 Evaluation –5 Evaluation –Main Research QuestionsMain Research Questions

Does the software meet the technical and Does the software meet the technical and usability requirements?usability requirements?

Does the interaction with FearNot affect Does the interaction with FearNot affect children’s (views on) bullying behaviour?children’s (views on) bullying behaviour?

Can FearNot! help to improve the empathic Can FearNot! help to improve the empathic abilities of the child users?abilities of the child users?

Do children actually develop empathy towards Do children actually develop empathy towards the characters in the scenarios?the characters in the scenarios?

5 Evaluation - Design5 Evaluation - Design

Large-scale evaluation event in June Large-scale evaluation event in June 2004 involving 400 children from 2004 involving 400 children from Hertfordshire, UK Hertfordshire, UK

Pre-/Post-Tests in UK/P/D involving 100 Pre-/Post-Tests in UK/P/D involving 100 children eachchildren each

Iterative usability evaluation during the Iterative usability evaluation during the development of FearNotdevelopment of FearNot

5 Evaluation –5 Evaluation –Preliminary ResultsPreliminary Results

Goal: evaluation of Goal: evaluation of - Character attributes (believability, Character attributes (believability,

appearance, movement)appearance, movement)- Storyline believabilityStoryline believability- Empathic feelings created between the Empathic feelings created between the

child user and the animated characters child user and the animated characters

5 Evaluation – Preliminary Results5 Evaluation – Preliminary Results

UK/P sampleUK/P sampleN=127N=127

Aged 8-13 (M=9.83; Aged 8-13 (M=9.83; SD=1.04)SD=1.04)

6464♂ &♂ & 63 63♀♀

1= positive response1= positive response

5= negative5= negative responseresponse

Believability MovementsBelievability Movements 3.04

Realism MovementsRealism Movements 3.11

Smoothness MovementsSmoothness Movements 2.82

Attractiveness school environment 2.1

Match school with characters 2.0

Sadness towards John (victim) 9595%%

Sadness towards Luke (bully) 55%%

Sadness towards Martina (narrator) 0%0%

Anger towards John (victim) 13%13%

Anger towards Luke (bully) 8585%%

Anger towards Martina (narrator) 2%2%

5 Evaluation – Preliminary Results5 Evaluation – Preliminary Results

UK/P sampleUK/P sample- Character movements rated rather poorlyCharacter movements rated rather poorly

- School environment and match with characters School environment and match with characters rated more highlyrated more highly

- Empathy: majority felt sad for victim and angry Empathy: majority felt sad for victim and angry for bullyfor bully

- Gender issues: boys empathise more with Gender issues: boys empathise more with males than females while girls empathise with males than females while girls empathise with both gendersboth genders

Further information on the project…Further information on the project…

•Ruth Aylett (project coordinator)

r.s.aylett@salford.ac.uk

•Sibylle Enz, Carsten Zoll, Harald Schaub

{sibylle.enz;carsten.zoll;harald.schaub}

@ppp.uni-bamberg.de

•The Project Website

www.victec.org