Identical text perceived as less credible when presented as a Wikipedia article than as simulated ChatGPT or Alexa output. The researchers note that these results might be influenced by the fact that it is easier to discern factual errors on a static text page like a Wikipedia than when listening to the spoken audio of Alexa or watching the streaming chat-like presentation of ChatGPT.

However, exploratory analyses yielded an interesting discrepancy between perceived information credibility when being exposed to actual information and global trustworthiness ratings regarding the three information search applications. Here, online encyclopedias were rated as most trustworthy, while no significant differences were observed between voice-based and dynamic text-based agents.

Contrary to our predictions, people felt higher enjoyment [measured using questions like “I found reading the information / listening to the information entertaining”] when information was presented as static or dynamic text compared to the voice-based agent, while the two text-based conditions did not significantly differ. In Experiment 2, we expected to replicate this pattern of results but found that people also felt higher enjoyment with the dynamic text-based agent than the static text.

Edit: Added “for credibility” to title

  • Boozilla@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    English
    arrow-up
    34
    arrow-down
    4
    ·
    4 months ago

    I wonder if Wikipedia could mitigate this to some degree by updating their UX. I don’t particularly want them to, and I certainly don’t want a “New Coke” Wikipedia. But the design is rather plain and “looks old” to a modern user.

    And people are suckers for a friendly-looking starter like “Certainly!”

      • Boozilla@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        arrow-up
        6
        ·
        4 months ago

        Not sure I follow you. An update of the visuals / presentation doesn’t change the inherent nature of it. Books get republished with new dust jackets all the time.

        • Aatube@kbin.melroy.orgOP
          link
          fedilink
          arrow-up
          3
          ·
          4 months ago

          People liked the ChatGPT presentation because it slowly revealed the text (which also made errors harder to discern). To update and adapt it would be doing away with the encyclopedia format. If you want a ChatGPT presentation, just use ChatGPT or that OneWordReader thing.

          • Boozilla@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            English
            arrow-up
            5
            ·
            4 months ago

            OK, now I understand. I think we’re talking about different things here. Or I missed that point in the paper. I would not want that kind of thing for Wikipedia, I agree with you there.