Saying YES! The cross-cultural complexities of favors and trust in human-agent negotiation

Negotiation between virtual agents and humans is a complex field that requires designers of systems to be aware not only of the efficient solutions to a given game, but also the mechanisms by which humans create value over multiple negotiations. One way of considering the agent's impact beyond a single negotiation session is by considering the use of external “ledgers” across multiple sessions. We present results that describe the effects of favor exchange on negotiation outcomes, fairness, and trust for two distinct cross-cultural populations, and illustrate the ramifications of their similarities and differences on virtual agent design.