Embodied Agents and the Predictive Elaboration Model of Persuasion--The Ability to Tailor Embodied Agents to Users' Need for Cognition

In this study, we explore the ability of embodied agents (EAs) to influence users' assessments. We propose the Predictive Elaboration Model of Persuasion (PEMP), which posits that the need for cognition (NFC) can serve as a practical surrogate for elaboration likelihood in the Elaboration Likelihood Model (ELM) of persuasion. PEMP is tested in a laboratory setting involving embodied agents attempting to influence participants' credibility assessments of individuals suspected of a crime. The results show that NFC behaves similarly to elaboration likelihood. We argue that NFC provides greater predictive capability than elaboration likelihood in determining how individuals process persuasive messages.