What's Social about Social Robots? A Psychological Perspective

What make robots social and which psychological factors contribute to user perceptions of robots as social agents? We have tried to address these issues by means of experimental psychological research conducted in the Applied Social Psychology Lab at CITEC, Bielefeld University. In my presentation, I will combine a personal account of my journey into the field of HRI with a psychological perspective on developments in social robotics and HRI. To do so, I will shed light on the psychological underpinnings of the perception of robots as social agents, focusing mainly on the impact of design choices (e. g., indicators of robot group membership) on robot-related perceptions. Moreover, I will emphasize the relevance of user attitudes, - how to measure and to change them -, to promote acceptance of novel technologies. I will conclude by pointing out key lessons learned on the way, considering social and ethical implications of doing HRI research.