A mini imitation game: How individuals model social robots via behavioral outcomes and social roles

Abstract

In past works, social robots have been designed to mimic human appearances and behavior. However, little is known about how human beings may imitate social robots. Drawing on social cognitive theory and the Media Equation, this study focuses on the modeling effects of social robots in an environment protection context. A lab experiment (N = 128) with a between-subjects factorial design was conducted to examine how social robots’ behavioral outcomes and social roles affected individuals’ modeling behavior. This study suggested that social robots’ positive behavioral outcomes were effective in evoking users’ modeling tendencies serially through social presence and identification or only through identification. Robots’ mere presentation of behavior with no outcomes exerted effects serially through social presence and identification. Additionally, assigning social robots an instructor role led to users’ modeling behavior serially through users’ perception of robots’ expertise and credibility. The study analyzed the psychological mechanisms behind users’ modeling behavior.