1 research outputs found
Can I Trust You? A User Study of Robot Mediation of a Support Group
Socially assistive robots have the potential to improve group dynamics when
interacting with groups of people in social settings. This work contributes to
the understanding of those dynamics through a user study of trust dynamics in
the novel context of a robot mediated support group. For this study, a novel
framework for robot mediation of a support group was developed and validated.
To evaluate interpersonal trust in the multi-party setting, a dyadic trust
scale was implemented and found to be uni-factorial, validating it as an
appropriate measure of general trust. The results of this study demonstrate a
significant increase in average interpersonal trust after the group interaction
session, and qualitative post-session interview data report that participants
found the interaction helpful and successfully supported and learned from one
other. The results of the study validate that a robot-mediated support group
can improve trust among strangers and allow them to share and receive support
for their academic stress.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in ICRA 202