ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates the critical importance of consistency when it comes to traits. The chapter presents experimental studies of human-computer interaction (HCI) that are theoretically grounded in social psychology and the computers are social actors (CASA) paradigm. Users respond to computer-based voices and faces as if they exhibit very human characteristics such as personality, gender, ethnicity, and emotion. Gender, personality, and ethnicity are examples of social characteristics known as traits: relatively permanent intrinsic characteristics. Technology provides a wonderful opportunity to overthrow gender stereotypes in the minds of users. Similarly, one could use a male voice reading off routine instructions for a new tutorial on timecard-stamping software to create a balancing force against gender stereotypes. Gender stereotyping is so powerful in shaping the human experience that it plays out not only in the world of humans interacting with humans, but also in the world of humans interacting with computers.
