101 research outputs found

    Humanization of robots: is it really such a good idea?

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    The aim of this review was to examine the pros and cons of humanizing social robots following a psychological perspective. As such, we had six goals. First, we defined what social robots are. Second, we clarified the meaning of humanizing social robots. Third, we presented the theoretical backgrounds for promoting humanization. Fourth, we conducted a review of empirical results of the positive effects and the negative effects of humanization on human–robot interaction (HRI). Fifth, we presented some of the political and ethical problems raised by the humanization of social robots. Lastly, we discussed the overall effects of the humanization of robots in HRI and suggested new avenues of research and development.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

    Advances in Human-Robot Interaction

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    Rapid advances in the field of robotics have made it possible to use robots not just in industrial automation but also in entertainment, rehabilitation, and home service. Since robots will likely affect many aspects of human existence, fundamental questions of human-robot interaction must be formulated and, if at all possible, resolved. Some of these questions are addressed in this collection of papers by leading HRI researchers

    Using social robots to encourage honest behaviours

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    This thesis presents a series of studies to understand if robots can promote more honest behaviours from people, when they are tempted to behave dishonestly. In Study 1 we see that a robot just presenting gaze behaviour inhibits cheating, but a robot doing small talk, does not. In Study 2 we see that participants cheated to an equal extent when doing the task in their homes alone or with a video of a robot looking at them. In Study 3 we find that including situation awareness in a robot (showing awareness of the participant behaviour), decreased cheating across the game. In Study 4 we see that priming participants for their relational self-concept does not enhance the situation awareness effect on cheating. In study 5 and 6 we explore participants perceptions, and we see that people consider it wrong to be dishonest towards a robot. However, they would feel low levels of guilt and justify it by the robots’ lack of capabilities, presence, and a human tendency for dishonesty. When prompted to evaluate what other’s/or their own attitudes would be regarding dishonesty, manipulating the caring behaviour of a robot, it shows no effect and people in general think others would be dishonest and hold themselves in a more neutral stance. Interestingly, people that show more negative attitudes towards robots tend to report that others will act more dishonestly as well as themselves. These are important considerations for the development of robots, in the future, to work alongside with humans.Esta tese apresenta uma sĂ©rie de estudos para perceber se os robĂŽs podem promover comportamentos honestos nas pessoas. No Estudo 1 observa-se que um robĂŽ que apenas olha para o utilizador, inibe batota, mas um robĂŽ que apresenta algum comportamento verbal nĂŁo tem o mesmo efeito. No estudo 2, vemos que os participantes fazem batota tanto sozinhos, nas suas casas, como na presença de um vĂ­deo de um robĂŽ que simplesmente olha. No Estudo 3 incluindo no robĂŽ a capacidade de perceber as jogadas dos participantes e reagir a elas, diminui a batota ao longo do jogo. No Estudo 4 a inclusĂŁo de um priming para o auto-conceito relacional nĂŁo aumenta o efeito encontrado no Estudo 3. Finalmente, no Estudo 5 e 6 exploram-se as perceçÔes das pessoas, e verifica-se que consideram errado ser-se desonesto com um robĂŽ, mas reportando baixos nĂ­veis de culpa. Justificam a desonestidade por: falta de capacidades no robĂŽ, falta de presença e a existĂȘncia de uma tendĂȘncia humana para a desonestidade. Quando avaliadas as atitudes que os outros teriam ou eles prĂłprios em ser-se desonesto, manipulando o carĂĄcter afetivo do robĂŽ, nĂŁo existem efeitos e as pessoas no geral reportam que os outros serĂŁo desonestos mantendo-se a si mesmas numa posição neutra. Curiosamente, os que demonstram atitudes mais negativas face a interagirem com robĂŽs, reportam mais desonestidade. Estas sĂŁo consideraçÔes importantes para o desenvolvimento de robĂŽs para colaborarem com humanos no futuro

    Boosting children's creativity through creative interactions with social robots

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    Creativity is an ability with psychological and developmental benefits. Creative levels are dynamic and oscillate throughout life, with a first major decline occurring at the age of 7 years old. However, creativity is an ability that can be nurtured if trained, with evidence suggesting an increase in this ability with the use of validated creativity training. Yet, creativity training for young children (aged between 6-9 years old) appears as scarce. Additionally, existing training interventions resemble test-like formats and lack of playful dynamics that could engage children in creative practices over time. This PhD project aimed at contributing to creativity stimulation in children by proposing to use social robots as intervention tools, thus adding playful and interactive dynamics to the training. Towards this goal, we conducted three studies in schools, summer camps, and museums for children, that contributed to the design, fabrication, and experimental testing of a robot whose purpose was to re-balance creative levels. Study 1 (n = 140) aimed at testing the effect of existing activities with robots in creativity and provided initial evidence of the positive potential of robots for creativity training. Study 2 (n = 134) aimed at including children as co-designers of the robot, ensuring the robot’s design meets children’s needs and requirements. Study 3 (n = 130) investigated the effectiveness of this robot as a tool for creativity training, showing the potential of robots as creativity intervention tools. In sum, this PhD showed that robots can have a positive effect on boosting the creativity of children. This places social robots as promising tools for psychological interventions.Criatividade Ă© uma habilidade com benefĂ­cios no desenvolvimento saudĂĄvel. Os nĂ­veis de criatividade sĂŁo dinĂąmicos e oscilam durante a vida, sendo que o primeiro maior declĂ­nio acontece aos 7 anos de idade. No entanto, a criatividade Ă© uma habilidade que pode ser nutrida se treinada e evidĂȘncias sugerem um aumento desta habilidade com o uso de programas validados de criatividade. Ainda assim, os programas de criatividade para crianças pequenas (entre os 6-9 anos de idade) sĂŁo escassos. Adicionalmente, estes programas adquirem o formato parecido ao de testes, faltando-lhes dinĂąmicas de brincadeira e interatividade que poderĂŁo motivar as crianças a envolverem-se em prĂĄticas criativas ao longo do tempo. O presente projeto de doutoramento procurou contribuir para a estimulação da criatividade em crianças propondo usar robĂŽs sociais como ferramenta de intervenção, adicionando dinĂąmicas de brincadeira e interação ao treino. Assim, conduzimos trĂȘs estudos em escolas, campos de fĂ©rias, e museus para crianças que contribuĂ­ram para o desenho, fabricação, e teste experimental de um robĂŽ cujo objetivo Ă© ser uma ferramenta que contribui para aumentar os nĂ­veis de criatividade. O Estudo 1 (n = 140) procurou testar o efeito de atividade jĂĄ existentes com robĂŽs na criatividade e mostrou o potencial positivo do uso de robĂŽs para o treino criativo. O Estudo 2 (n = 134) incluiu crianças como co-designers do robĂŽ, assegurando que o desenho do robĂŽ correspondeu Ă s necessidades das crianças. O Estudo 2 (n = 130) investigou a eficĂĄcia deste robĂŽ como ferramenta para a criatividade, demonstrando o seu potencial para o treino da criatividade. Em suma, o presente doutoramento mostrou que os robĂŽs poderĂŁo ter um potencial criativo em atividades com crianças. Desta forma, os robĂŽs sociais poderĂŁo ser ferramentas promissoras em intervençÔes na psicologia

    Social influences on young children's developing inhibitory control abilities

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    The goal of this dissertation was to experimentally examine two different means through which social factors can influence children’s inhibitory control abilities: 1) a top down approach, through modeling of self-control skills, and 2) a bottom up approach via increased arousal due to their mere presence in the child’s environment. To the best of my knowledge, little research has examined children’s imitative abilities in the context of learning behavioral inhibition strategies, nor the influence of minimal social presence in the form of a mere image of eyes on children’s cognitive inhibition performance. In Chapters 2 and 3, I systematically explored variables that may affect children’s acquisition of self-control strategies from adults in a delay-of-gratification task. In Study 1, I explored the effect of adult’s verbal and behavioral information on preschool-aged children’s imitation of self-regulatory strategies with a particular interest in the cases when the verbal and behavioral information conflict. Children performed a delay-of-gratification task after observing an adult perform the same task. Across four between-subjects conditions, the model either did or did not state her intention to complete the task, modeled the strategies, and then either did or did not complete the task successfully. Children who observed the model successfully complete the task were more likely to imitate the strategies and successfully wait when they performed the same task, as well as in a novel self-control task, irrespective of the model’s communicated intent. In addition to examining the role of the information provided by an adult model, I investigated the role of model characteristics. In Study 2, using the same paradigm as in the first study, I explored whether 4- to 5-year-old children demonstrated a preference to imitate self control strategies from a racially ingroup versus a racially outgroup adult. Results revealed an absence of significant racial group preference in a sample of children of minority background (Chinese American), but significant racial group preferences among Caucasian children. Caucasian children were significantly more likely to imitate modeled strategies and to successfully wait when they observed an adult who was a racial ingroup member versus a racial outgroup member (East Asian). These findings were even more robust for the 5-year-old children, suggesting that racial group preferences may develop with age. The final two studies presented in Chapter 4 demonstrate that social factors can also influence inhibitory control abilities from a bottom up approach. In Study 3a, children either performed a computerized Flanker task in the presence of a picture of (angry) eyes (minimal social presence) or in the presence of a picture of flowers (non-social presence). While there was no significant difference in performance between the two conditions for children with less developed theory of mind, participants with more developed theory of mind demonstrated facilitated performance in the social presence condition. In Study 3b, I further explored the effect of minimal social presence on inhibitory control performance by adding a third condition, a picture of happy eyes. The facilitative effect was not found in the happy eyes condition, which may suggest that increase in arousal may have been a mechanism by which the social stimulus affected performance. Taken together, the findings from these studies identify social variables and conditions, both from a top down as well as from a bottom up approach, that affect children’s inhibitory control. This has important implications on how we can optimize teaching of self-control strategies in order to promote development of children’s behavioral inhibition, as well as on how we understand the implicit role of social context, even seemingly minimal social stimuli, that can facilitate children’s cognitive inhibition.2020-07-11T00:00:00

    Attachment and Sex with Robots: An Assessment from Mental Health Perspective

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    Nowadays, when robot technology advances very quickly, the place and level of robot in human life lead to great debate. The perspective of mental health experts about living with robot, wanting to marry with robot, and sex with robot is very important. In this review, the literature about using robot in infant, child, elderly care and intimacy, attachment and sex with robots tried to investigate from perspective of mental health

    Perceiving Sociable Technology: Exploring the Role of Anthropomorphism and Agency Perception on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI)

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    With the arrival of personal assistants and other AI-enabled autonomous technologies, social interactions with smart devices have become a part of our daily lives. Therefore, it becomes increasingly important to understand how these social interactions emerge, and why users appear to be influenced by them. For this reason, I explore questions on what the antecedents and consequences of this phenomenon, known as anthropomorphism, are as described in the extant literature from fields ranging from information systems to social neuroscience. I critically analyze those empirical studies directly measuring anthropomorphism and those referring to it without a corresponding measurement. Through a grounded theory approach, I identify common themes and use them to develop models for the antecedents and consequences of anthropomorphism. The results suggest anthropomorphism possesses both conscious and non-conscious components with varying implications. While conscious attributions are shown to vary based on individual differences, non-conscious attributions emerge whenever a technology exhibits apparent reasoning such as through non-verbal behavior like peer-to-peer mirroring or verbal paralinguistic and backchanneling cues. Anthropomorphism has been shown to affect users’ self-perceptions, perceptions of the technology, how users interact with the technology, and the users’ performance. Examples include changes in a users’ trust on the technology, conformity effects, bonding, and displays of empathy. I argue these effects emerge from changes in users’ perceived agency, and their self- and social- identity similarly to interactions between humans. Afterwards, I critically examine current theories on anthropomorphism and present propositions about its nature based on the results of the empirical literature. Subsequently, I introduce a two-factor model of anthropomorphism that proposes how an individual anthropomorphizes a technology is dependent on how the technology was initially perceived (top-down and rational or bottom-up and automatic), and whether it exhibits a capacity for agency or experience. I propose that where a technology lays along this spectrum determines how individuals relates to it, creating shared agency effects, or changing the users’ social identity. For this reason, anthropomorphism is a powerful tool that can be leveraged to support future interactions with smart technologies

    Cognimates

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    Thesis: S.M., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, School of Architecture and Planning, Program in Media Arts and Sciences, 2018.Cataloged from PDF version of thesis. "Some pages in the original document contain text that runs off the edge of the page"--Disclaimer Notice page.Includes bibliographical references (pages 199-204).Conversational agents and intelligent toys are present in children's homes. This raises questions as to the impact of Al on their development. In this context, we explore how to educate the children that are growing up with Al and best prepare them for the future. Our prior studies showed that young people consider intelligent agents as friendly and trustworthy, and sometimes even defer to them when making decisions [16, 73]. This thesis explores how children, who are 7 to 14 years old, develop a better understanding of Al concepts and change their perception of smart agents by programming and teaching them with the Cognimates platform we developed. Variations between children of different nationalities and SES backgrounds are discussed together with the influence of their collaboration and communication skills.by Stefania Druga.S.M
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