"The Decline of CASA Theory in Desktop Computing"
A recent replication study has found that the Computers Are Social Actors (CASA) theory, which suggests that humans respond to computers as if they have awareness, may no longer apply to desktop computers. The original CASA theory was based on the assumption that our brains have not evolved to differentiate between social cues from humans and computers. However, the study found no significant difference in participants' evaluations of a desktop computer when interacting with it directly or via an identical computer in another room. This challenges the notion that older technology, like desktop computers, is still viewed as social actors. The findings have implications for the development and integration of social technology in various fields.