Social Robot Research: A Narrative Review
Abstract
Tiffany Field
This narrative review includes summaries of recently published studies on features/qualities of social robots, as well as positive and negative effects of social robots on humans. The most effective features of the social robots include their human-like faces and voices. Other qualities that have been attributed to social robots include their intelligence and responsivity. Positive effects have been reported for children and adolescents being physically and verbally interactive with social robots and their stress and anxiety decreasing following interactions with the robots. In older adults, decreased loneliness, depression and agitation have been self-reported as well as increased physical activity. Increased oxytocin and decreased cortisol have also been noted following exposure to social robots, likely related to increased physical activity and decreased depression. In at least one study, socialization with humans was not decreased in older adults who were interacting with social robots. The negative effects of exposure to social robots include concerns about their cost and availability, fear of losing autonomy and stigma associated with owning a social robot. Methodological limitations of this current literature include the almost exclusive sampling of young children, adolescents and older adults as well as the variability of the robots used in the studies and the infrequent observational research on interactions between humans and social robots.