Comparing User Responses To Limited And Flexible Interaction In A Conversational Interface

The principles governing written communication have been well studied, and well incorporated in interactive computer systems. However, the role of spoken language and in human-computer interaction, while an increasingly popular modality, still needs to be explored further [3]. Evidence suggests that this technology must further evolve in order to support more natural conversations [2], and that the use of speech interfaces is correlated with a high cognitive demand and attention [4]. In the context of spoken dialogue systems, a continuum has long been identified between systeminitiative interactions, where the system is in complete control of the overall interaction and the user answers a series of prescribed questions, and user-initiative interactions, where the user is free to say anything and the system must respond [5]. However, much of the work in this area predates the recent explosive growth of conversational interfaces.