Editorial “Persuasion and Communication”

The chapters in this part elaborate the aspect of computers as social actors and investigate the more ambitious topic of intelligent systems that have contextual goals to pursue and aim at inducing the user to change attitudes or behavior. The potential for applications of persuasive systems is huge in fields like health, business, safety, and education. Computer-induced human change is also going to have a very important impact on society for conflict management and resolution, personal coaching and training, group facilitation, shaping of economical behaviors, adoption of sustainable lifestyles, and so on.