Enhancing Perceived Empathy in Empathic Mixed Reality Agents via Context-Aware Adaptation

Mixed Reality Agents (MiRAs) have been extensively studied to enhance virtual-physical interactions, using their ability to exist in both virtual and physical environments. However, little research has focused on enhancing perceived empathy in MiRAs, despite its potential for agent-assisted therapy, education, and training. To fill this gap, we investigate the impact of an Empathic Mixed Reality agent (EMiRA) that adapts to users' physiological states and physical events in a shooting game. We found that this adaptation enhanced users' social perceptions of the agent, including social presence, social connectedness, and perceived empathy. Physiological adaptation increased paternalism and reduced user dominance, while physical adaptation had no such effect. We discuss these findings and provide design implications for future EMiRAs.