# Mapping Perceptions of Humanness in Speech-Based Intelligent Personal Assistant Interaction

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/1907.11585 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.11585/

## Key facts

- Cited by 10 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- First posted on arXiv 26 Jul 2019.

## Built on by (most cited first, 10 of 10)

- [Impact of Guidance and Interaction Strategies for LLM Use on Learner Performance and Perception](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2310.13712/) (2023)
- [Understanding Public Perceptions of AI Conversational Agents: A Cross-Cultural Analysis](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.16039/) (2024)
- [Designing AI Personalities: Enhancing Human-Agent Interaction Through Thoughtful Persona Design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2410.22744/) (2024)
- [Toward Metaphor-Fluid Conversation Design for Voice User Interfaces](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2502.11554/) (2025)
- [What Do We See in Them? Identifying Dimensions of Partner Models for Speech Interfaces Using a Psycholexical Approach](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2102.02094/) (2021)
- [Coimagining the Future of Voice Assistants with Cultural Sensitivity](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2403.17599/) (2024)
- [LGBTQ-AI? Exploring Expressions of Gender and Sexual Orientation in Chatbots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2106.02076/) (2021)
- [LLM-Mediated Domain-Specific Voice Agents: The Case of TextileBot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2406.10590/) (2024)
- [Human or Machine? A Preliminary Turing Test for Speech-to-Speech Interaction](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.24080/) (2026)
- [Humans' ALMANAC: A Human Collaboration Dataset of Action-Level Mental Model Annotations for Agent Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.06388/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Humanness is core to speech interface design. Yet little is known about how users conceptualise perceptions of humanness and how people define their interaction with speech interfaces through this. To map these perceptions n=21 participants held dialogues with a human and two speech interface based intelligent personal assistants, and then reflected and compared their experiences using the repertory grid technique. Analysis of the constructs show that perceptions of humanness are multidimensional, focusing on eight key themes: partner knowledge set, interpersonal connection, linguistic content, partner performance and capabilities, conversational interaction, partner identity and role, vocal qualities and behavioral affordances. Through these themes, it is clear that users define the capabilities of speech interfaces differently to humans, seeing them as more formal, fact based, impersonal and less authentic. Based on the findings, we discuss how the themes help to scaffold, categorise and target research and design efforts, considering the appropriateness of emulating humanness.