MACH: my automated conversation coach

Abstract

MACH--My Automated Conversation coacH--is a novel system that provides ubiquitous access to social skills training. The system includes a virtual agent that reads facial expressions, speech, and prosody and responds with verbal and nonverbal behaviors in real time. This paper presents an application of MACH in the context of training for job interviews. During the training, MACH asks interview questions, automatically mimics certain behavior issued by the user, and exhibit appropriate nonverbal behaviors. Following the interaction, MACH provides visual feedback on the user's performance. The development of this application draws on data from 28 interview sessions, involving employment-seeking students and career counselors. The effectiveness of MACH was assessed through a weeklong trial with 90 MIT undergraduates. Students who interacted with MACH were rated by human experts to have improved in overall interview performance, while the ratings of students in control groups did not improve. Post-experiment interviews indicate that participants found the interview experience informative about their behaviors and expressed interest in using MACH in the future.