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Received July 16, 2024
Social Robots: A Special Collection of Articles Published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior (2020–2024)
Volume 5, Issue 3. DOI: 10.1037/tmb0000139
Published onSep 26, 2024
Social Robots: A Special Collection of Articles Published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior (2020–2024)
Abstract
This special collection on social robots includes 11 articles published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior between 2020 and 2024. Social robots are robots; thus, like other robots, they can usually sense their environment and context, purposefully act on or in that environment, and perform actions in the real world. More specifically, social robots are designed to interact with humans by engaging in social behaviors that mimic human interactions. The 11 articles in this special collection represent social robots that function in various settings, including homes, schools, health care, and public spaces. These articles investigate different facets of how humans perceive, interact with, and are affected by robots, drawing on various psychological and social theories to understand the dynamics of human–robot relationships. They cover topics related to theories and psychological mechanisms, humans’ perception and acceptance of social robots, the degree to which interactions and relationships with social robots are similar to those with humans, and implications regarding theories of social psychology.
Keywords: social robots, artificial intelligence, child development, health care, communication
Open Access License: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND). This license permits copying and redistributing the work in any medium or format for noncommercial use provided the original authors and source are credited and a link to the license is included in attribution. No derivative works are permitted under this license.
Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Danielle S. McNamara, Learning Engineering Institute, Arizona State University, 950 South McAllister, Tempe, AZ 85287, United States. Email: [email protected]
Our special collection on social robots (see https://tmb.apaopen.org/special-collections) includes 11 articles published in Technology, Mind, and Behavior between 2020 and 2024.
What are social robots? A robot is a machine that can sense its environment, purposefully act on or in that environment, and perform actions in the real world. Usually, a robot is autonomous or semiautonomous and can carry out a relatively complex series of actions automatically. A social robot is designed to interact with humans by engaging in social behaviors that mimic human interactions. Artificial intelligence (AI) affords social robots with the capacity to recognize, interpret, and respond to human emotions and intentions, ideally fostering a sense of social presence and emotional connection with the humans who interact with them. Social robots are capable of various behaviors such as speech and language, gestures, facial expressions, and movement, enabling the robot to engage in supportive functions such as companionship, caregiving, education, and various personal services and assistance (e.g., guiding, fetching items, or offering information).
The 11 articles in this special collection represent social robots built to function across various settings, including homes, schools, health care, and public spaces. Their common purpose was to improve human life by providing continuous availability, consistent responses, and (relatively) cost-effective solutions for companionship and assistance. These articles investigate different facets of how humans perceive, interact with, and are affected by robots, drawing on various psychological and social theories to understand the dynamics of human–robot relationships.
To generate a summary of these 11 articles, I turned to ChatGPT (v4o; July 3, 2024). ChatGPT does not qualify as a social robot but it was the closest proxy that I had on hand to help me out with this task. The summary of the four main points covered by the articles and the principal sources for each topic are provided in Table 1 (I slightly edited the ChatGPT output).
Four Main Topics Covered in the 11 Articles Within This Special Collection on Social Robots in Technology, Mind, and Behavior | ||
Topic | Primary source | Summary of main topic in special collection |
|---|---|---|
1. Theories and psychological mechanisms | Ahumada-Newhart and Eccles (2020), Banks (2021), Grundke et al. (2022), Smith et al. (2021) | Various psychological theories, such as theory of mind, self-determination theory, and bioecological systems theory, are leveraged to understand and explain human–robot interactions. These frameworks help explain how humans infer the mental states of robots, how robotic avatars impact homebound children’s development, and how robots can mimic social presence to facilitate normal developmental experiences. |
2. Perception and acceptance of robots | Grundke et al. (2022), Johanson et al. (2020), Marchesi et al. (2022) | Humans’ acceptance and comfort with robots depend on robots’ capabilities and behaviors. Robots capable of detecting emotions are generally more accepted than those that read thoughts, and the use of humor by health care robots can significantly improve user perceptions and comfort. Humans also tend to adopt an intentional stance more toward socially available and humanlike robots, indicating that perceived similarity and social bonding increase acceptance. |
3. Humanlike interaction and relationship formation | Leisten et al. (2024), Marchesi et al. (2022), Reeves et al. (2020) | Children form reciprocal relationships with social robots similarly to how they do with other children, with age affecting these interactions. Established human–human relationship theories may apply to human–robot interactions, suggesting that age and developmental stages are crucial in how children interact with and perceive robots. |
4. Social psychological implications | Banks (2022), Ghiglino et al. (2024), Koban et al. (2021), Smith et al. (2021) | Robots are often perceived through the lens of intergroup behavior, where they might be seen as members of an outgroup. This perspective influences human reactions to robots, including stereotyping and prejudice. Studies also show mixed results regarding social facilitation effects, with robots’ presence having a limited impact on human performance, possibly due to high task attention levels mitigating these effects. However, the presence of a robot may negatively affect performance in some attentional tasks. People can also form emotional connections with robots, interpreting their cessation in terms of legacy and loss. |
I also asked ChatGPT several questions about the articles. Within one series of questions, I asked how these articles (based on the abstracts) pointed to avenues for future research. It provided multiple avenues to better understand the complexities of human–robot interactions and enhance the design and application of social robots across various contexts. It pointed to potential research questions regarding topics such as their long-term effects, cultural and contextual influences, emotional and ethical considerations, the impact of different social roles, interpersonal dynamics, and potential applications for mental health, some of which overlapped with studies within this collection and some of which overlapped with current literature on the topic of social robots. Many of its suggestions related to the importance of understanding how to personalize social robots to meet needs across various contexts, users’ individual differences, and robots’ roles: This is an important objective for most research related to the use of AI-enabled agents.
Given the breadth of potential directions provided, I asked it to go beyond the 11 articles in this special collection and limited it to the four most important implications from the studies. Notably, my general experience with ChatGPT (thus far) is that it usually is unable to predict the future or even describe future needs (beyond the data provided); however, it was able to point to four research areas that I found interesting and important.
These four research directions and their importance are provided in Table 2. When I asked for a reason why these four were chosen, it stated: “These categories were selected because they represent areas where social robots have the potential to make a significant positive impact, address urgent societal needs, and drive technological innovation. Additionally, these areas encompass both practical applications and ethical considerations, making them critical focal points for future research and development.” Though these are not actually reasons per se but more of a summary of the four topics, I found these to be relatively important research directions and thus decided to share them in this introduction.
Four Potential Research Directions Identified by ChatGPT4o Based on the Abstracts of the 11 Articles Within This Technology, Mind, and Behavior Special Collection on Social Robots | |||
Topic | Key question | Importance | Relevance |
|---|---|---|---|
1. Dynamic adaptability and personalization | How can social robots be designed to dynamically adapt their behaviors and responses based on real-time feedback from human interactions? | Personalization and real-time adaptability are critical for improving user engagement and satisfaction with social robots. As robots become more integrated into daily life, their ability to adapt to individual user needs and preferences can significantly enhance their effectiveness and user experience. | This area of research can lead to advancements in artificial intelligence and machine learning, making social robots more intuitive and responsive. |
2. Aging populations and health support | How can social robots be optimized to support aging populations in maintaining their independence and managing daily activities? | The global aging population presents a growing need for support in maintaining independence and managing daily activities. Social robots can play a crucial role in providing companionship, health monitoring, and assistance with tasks, thereby improving the quality of life for elderly individuals. | Addressing this need can reduce the burden on health care systems and caregivers, while also promoting the well-being of elderly individuals. |
3. Smart home integration and security | How can social robots be integrated into smart home ecosystems to enhance the overall functionality and user experience of connected devices? | The global aging population presents a growing need for support in maintaining independence and managing daily activities. Social robots can play a crucial role in providing companionship, health monitoring, and assistance with tasks, thereby improving the quality of life for elderly individuals. | Research in this area can lead to the development of more secure, efficient, and user-friendly smart home environments, benefiting a wide range of users. |
4. Disaster response and emergency assistance | How can social robots be deployed in disaster response scenarios to assist with search and rescue, provide medical aid, and support affected individuals emotionally? | As smart home technology becomes more prevalent, integrating social robots into these ecosystems can enhance functionality and user experience. However, it is also essential to address security and privacy concerns to ensure the safe and reliable use of these technologies. | Enhancing the capabilities of social robots in disaster response can improve the effectiveness of emergency services and provide essential support in high-stress situations. |
Given recent advances in AI, including generative AI, as well as advances in the technologies and engineering necessary to effectively embody social robots, I expect that there will be a great deal more work in this area in the coming years. Indeed, a great deal of work remains to understand the complexities of how machines can most effectively interact with and support humans across multiple contexts. I hope that this collection of articles, for which I and my coeditors have had the privilege of serving as their action editor over the past 5 years since the inception of Technology, Mind, and Behavior, has and will serve to inform and inspire scholars and practitioners as this research and development field continues to flourish.
