We are investigating whether a relational agent can provide social support similar to human or animal companions. Social support has been shown to mitigate the effects of stress and other emotional distress, and has also been shown to have a positive impact on health in certain situations. We describe an on-going experiment on the calming effects of a relational agent on users following a social bonding interaction. Applications to a range of health care problems are discussed.

    In this paper we describe the design of a relational agent interface for handheld computers and the results of a study exploring the effectiveness of different useragent interaction modalities. Four different agent output modalities—text only, static image plus text, animated, and animated plus nonverbal speech—are compared and their impact on the ability of the agent to establish a social bond with the user and the perceived credibility of information delivered is evaluated. Subjects generally preferred the two animated versions of the system, as well as establishing strong social bonds with them.