Direct and Mediated Interaction with a Holocaust Survivor

The New Dimensions in Testimony dialogue system was placed in two museums under two distinct conditions: docent-led group interaction, and free interaction with visitors. Analysis of the resulting conversations shows that docent-led interactions have a lower vocabulary and a higher proportion of user utterances that directly relate to the system's subject matter, while free interaction is more personal in nature. Under docent-led interaction the system gives a higher proportion of direct appropriate responses, but overall correct system behavior is about the same in both conditions because the free interaction condition has more instances where the correct system behavior is to avoid a direct response.