Welcoming behaviors in user experience: a design framework for human-computer interaction

Welcoming behavior is a fundamental and indispensable component of human social interaction, necessary for establishing positive initial encounters and effectively conveying interaction intent. This study aims to gain a deep understanding and quantify such behaviors, thereby laying the foundation for designing more effective, contextually appropriate, and emotionally resonant welcoming behaviors for smart systems. We conducted a content analysis of welcoming behaviors observed in film scenarios featuring human and anthropomorphic characters (e.g., animated figures), identifying 13 terms that summarize various welcoming contexts. Subsequently, utilizing semantic differential scales and exploratory factor analysis (EFA), we identified five underlying dimensions of welcoming behavior: support and acceptance, energetic, ritualistic, resonance, and intimacy. These findings provide a foundation for a framework that enables Human-Computer Interaction (HCI) researchers and practitioners to apply these dimensions of welcome, derived from human and human-like behaviors to the design of smart systems that foster welcoming behaviors.