# Comparing How a Chatbot References User Utterances from Previous Chatting Sessions: An Investigation of Users' Privacy Concerns and Perceptions

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2308.04879 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2308.04879/

## Key facts

- Cited by 8 papers in the map (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 13 of its 81 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 9 Aug 2023.

## Builds on (most cited first, 13 of 13)

- [Generative Agents: Interactive Simulacra of Human Behavior](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2304.03442/) (2023)
- [Beyond Goldfish Memory: Long-Term Open-Domain Conversation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2107.07567/) (2021)
- [Long Time No See! Open-Domain Conversation with Long-Term Persona Memory](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2203.05797/) (2022)
- [Keep Me Updated! Memory Management in Long-term Conversations](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2210.08750/) (2022)
- [How should my chatbot interact? A survey on human-chatbot interaction design](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1904.02743/) (2019)
- [Conceptual Metaphors Impact Perceptions of Human-AI Collaboration](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2008.02311/) (2020)
- [If I Hear You Correctly: Building and Evaluating Interview Chatbots with Active Listening Skills](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2002.01862/) (2020)
- [UX Research on Conversational Human-AI Interaction: A Literature Review of the ACM Digital Library](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2202.09895/) (2022)
- [Tell Me About Yourself: Using an AI-Powered Chatbot to Conduct Conversational Surveys with Open-ended Questions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1905.10700/) (2019)
- [CAiRE: An Empathetic Neural Chatbot](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1907.12108/) (2019)
- [Chatbots language design: the influence of language variation on user experience](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2101.11089/) (2021)
- [Simulating the Effects of Social Presence on Trust, Privacy Concerns & Usage Intentions in Automated Bots for Finance](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2006.15449/) (2020)
- [Ignorance is Bliss? The Effect of Explanations on Perceptions of Voice Assistants](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2211.12900/) (2022)

## Built on by (most cited first, 8 of 8)

- [Understanding the Impact of Long-Term Memory on Self-Disclosure with Large Language Model-Driven Chatbots for Public Health Intervention](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2402.11353/) (2024)
- [The Impact of a Chatbot's Ephemerality-Framing on Self-Disclosure Perceptions](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2505.20464/) (2025)
- [Polite But Boring? Trade-offs Between Engagement and Psychological Reactance to Chatbot Feedback Styles](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2601.20683/) (2026)
- [Chaplains' Reflections on the Design and Usage of AI for Conversational Care](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2602.04017/) (2026)
- [Incorporating Different Verbal Cues to Improve Text-Based Computer-Delivered Health Messaging](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2404.13633/) (2024)
- [Theory of Mind and Self-Disclosure to CUIs](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2507.10773/) (2025)
- [Correct Yourself, Keep My Trust: How Self-Correction and Social Connection Shape Credibility in Social Chatbots](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2606.19286/) (2026)
- ["MeBo Leaves a Piece of You Behind": Designing a Relational Voice-Based Memory Companion for Older Adults](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2609.24706/) (2026)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Chatbots are capable of remembering and referencing previous conversations, but does this enhance user engagement or infringe on privacy? To explore this trade-off, we investigated the format of how a chatbot references previous conversations with a user and its effects on a user's perceptions and privacy concerns. In a three-week longitudinal between-subjects study, 169 participants talked about their dental flossing habits to a chatbot that either, (1-None): did not explicitly reference previous user utterances, (2-Verbatim): referenced previous utterances verbatim, or (3-Paraphrase): used paraphrases to reference previous utterances. Participants perceived Verbatim and Paraphrase chatbots as more intelligent and engaging. However, the Verbatim chatbot also raised privacy concerns with participants. To gain insights as to why people prefer certain conditions or had privacy concerns, we conducted semi-structured interviews with 15 participants. We discuss implications from our findings that can help designers choose an appropriate format to reference previous user utterances and inform in the design of longitudinal dialogue scripting.