Abstract
Previous research suggests that the increased attribution of agency to robots may be linked to negative attitudes toward robots. If robots are truly expected to assume various roles in our social environment, it is necessary to further explore how increasing agency, for example through increasing levels of autonomy, affects attitudes toward them. This study investigates the role of perceived control as a moderator explaining attitudes toward attributed agency in a collaboration context. Austrian-based participants (hbox {N}=102) watched a video of a robot collaborating with a person to assemble a mixer—the robot was presented as either agentic and capable of proactively collaborating with the human or non-agentic and only capable of following human commands. The results show that attributing high levels of agency to robots is associated with negative attitudes toward them when individuals perceive low control during the collaboration.
Highlights
Collaboration between humans and robots is becoming more feasible thanks to advancements in robotics
In accordance with the vision of a cyber-society, autonomous robots are being used to assist with different activities in close contact with people in contexts ranging from workplaces to people’s daily home lives
There was no evidence of a direct relationship between attributed agency and attitudes toward robots, at least expressed in terms of simple association
Summary
Collaboration between humans and robots is becoming more feasible thanks to advancements in robotics. In another study conducted by Shermerhorn and Scheutz, people attribute greater cooperativeness to a robot in autonomous mode and accept dynamic autonomy when the robot makes autonomous decisions in the interest of team goals, even going so far as to ignore instances of disobedience [48]. While these studies have provided important information about how people interact with autonomous robots, the existing evidence does not conclusively determine how an increased attribution of agency of may affect peoples’ attitudes toward the robot. Given that contextual conditions can shape how individuals develop attitudes toward robots, perceived control may be a important dimension of cognition to investigate
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
