Dialogue with a conversational agent promotes children's story comprehension via enhancing engagement.

Journal: Child development
Published Date: Mar 1, 2022

Abstract

Dialogic reading, when children are read a storybook and engaged in relevant conversation, is a powerful strategy for fostering language development. With the development of artificial intelligence, conversational agents can engage children in elements of dialogic reading. This study examined whether a conversational agent can improve children's story comprehension and engagement, as compared to an adult reading partner. Using a 2 (dialogic reading or non-dialogic reading) × 2 (agent or human) factorial design, a total of 117 three- to six-year-olds (50% Female, 37% White, 31% Asian, 21% multi-ethnic) were randomly assigned into one of the four conditions. Results revealed that a conversational agent can replicate the benefits of dialogic reading with a human partner by enhancing children's narrative-relevant vocalizations, reducing irrelevant vocalizations, and improving story comprehension.

Authors

  • Ying Xu
    School of Biological and Food Engineering Changzhou University Changzhou Jiangsu China.
  • Joseph Aubele
    School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
  • Valery Vigil
    School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
  • Andres S Bustamante
    School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
  • Young-Suk Kim
    School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.
  • Mark Warschauer
    School of Education, University of California, Irvine, Irvine, California, USA.

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