Using computer automated systems to conduct personal interviews: Does the mere presence of a human face inhibit disclosure?

Personal interviews are widely used to collect open-ended data in an array of settings, many of which require solicitation of data that may be regarded as sensitive or threatening by interviewees. The high costs of employing human interviewers can be mitigated by utilizing computer-generated “human-like” interviewers, at least in scripted interview conditions. However, the effects of replacing humans with human-like interviewers on interviewees’...