A psychosocial concept proposed by Clifford Nass and Byron Reeves in their 1996 book, The Media Equation: How People Relate to Computers, Television, and New Media as Real People and Places. This theory states that people interact with electronic media (such as computers, television, and digital media) in the same psychological and social ways as they do with humans and the real environment. That is, the human mind does not distinguish – on the emotional and cognitive levels – between interaction with a technical device and a real person, which makes digital devices and programs perceived as social partners. This theory shows that people’s emotional and behavioral reactions to media are not just projections or metaphors, but real reactions stemming from the nature of the human mind, which sees media as an extension of reality. This idea has directly influenced subsequent research in artificial intelligence, social robotics, and virtual experiences.