Introduction

The project is being run by Prof Benedict Jones and Dr Victor Shiramizu, School of Psychological and Health Sciences, University of Strathclyde. Prof Jones can be contacted at benedict.jones@strath.ac.uk if you have any questions or comments on this research.

What is the purpose of this research?

A recent UNESCO report highlighted the need to better understand the stereotypic perceptions users have of conversational agents, such as Siri and Alexa. The current study investigates how synthetic voices differ in perceptions of traits, such as trustworthiness or competence. For example, some voices might sound more trustworthy than others and the current study aims to identify which voices those are.

Do you have to take part?

No, you do not. Participation in the project is voluntary and you are free to stop at any time. However, you will only receive a payment if you complete the study in full. Since all data are fully anonymous, you will not be able to request that your data be destroyed.

What will you do in the project?

You will be asked to report your age, gender, and ethnicity. You will then be played 46 synthetic voices and asked to rate each voice on a specific trait (e.g., trustworthiness) using a 1 (not at all) to 7 (very) scale. Participation should take approximately 15 minutes.

Who will have access to the information?

During data collection and analyses, only the researchers running the project will have access to the data. When the results are published, the anonymous data will be made publicly accessible on the Open Science Framework servers. We do this so that other researchers can confirm our results by rerunning the analyses.

Where will the information be stored and how long will it be kept for?

During data collection and analyses, data will be stored on a secure server and can be accessed only by the researchers running the project. When we publish our results, the anonymous data will be made publicly accessible on the Open Science Framework servers. We do this so that other researchers can confirm our results by rerunning the analyses. The data will be retained indefinitely. Data are only recorded if you complete the study.

Why have you been invited to take part?

You have been invited to take part because you are registered with Prolific and have English as a first language.

Thank you for reading this information – please ask any questions if you are unsure about what is written here.

What happens next?

Next, you will be invited to consent to take part in the study. If you have any questions you would like answered at this point, please email Prof Ben Jones benedict.jones@strath.ac.uk. If you would prefer not to participate, thank you for your time. If you are interested in taking part in this study, you will be able to indicate consent on the following page. If you would prefer not to take part then you can simply close the browser to leave the study.

Researcher contact details: If you have any questions about this study, please email Prof Ben Jones benedict.jones@strath.ac.uk

Chief Investigator details:

Prof Ben Jones benedict.jones@strath.ac.uk and Dr Victor Shiramizu victor.shiramizu@strath.ac.uk. You can contact the researchers here: School of Psychological Sciences and Health Ethics Committee University of Strathclyde Graham Hills Building 40 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE

This research was granted ethical approval by the School of Psychological Sciences and Health Ethics Committee. If you have any questions/concerns, during or after the research, or wish to contact an independent person to whom any questions may be directed or further information may be sought from, please contact: School of Psychological Sciences and Health Ethics Committee University of Strathclyde Graham Hills Building 40 George Street Glasgow G1 1QE

Email: hass-psh-ethics@strath.ac.uk

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