Mechanisms of Common Ground in Human-Agent Interaction: A Systematic Review of Conversational Agent Research

Human-agent interaction is increasingly influencing our personal and work lives through the proliferation of conversational agents in various domains. As such, these agents combine intuitive natural language interactions by also delivering personalization through artificial intelligence capabilities. However, research on CAs as well as practical failures indicate that CA interaction oftentimes fails miserably. To reduce these failures, this paper introduces the concept of building common ground for more successful human-agent interactions. Based on a systematic review our analysis reveals five mechanisms for achieving common ground: (1) Embodiment, (2) Social Features, (3) Joint Action, (4) Knowledge Base, and (5) Mental Model of Conversational Agents. On this basis, we offer insights into grounding mechanisms and highlight the potentials when considering common ground in different human-agent interaction processes. Consequently, we secure further understanding and deeper insights of possible mechanisms of common ground in human-agent interaction in the future.