Abstract
The potential for social robots to provide assistance to those in need continues to increase though optimal design for user acceptance and engagement continues to be elusive. The design of social robots for user motivation specifically has not been well researched yet evidence does indicate that virtual agents can be motivational. Theory of mind and social facilitation research points to the motivational potential of social robots. This study examines the effect of human-like appearance (i.e. anthropomorphism) on the effectiveness of motivational messages. Results indicate that images of humans paired with motivational messages were perceived as significantly more motivating than anthropomorphic images and zoomorphic images paired with motivational messages. There were no differences in motivation between anthropomorphic and zoomorphic images. Data indicates that participants tended to prefer human images to anthropomorphic and zoomorphic images for motivational purposes.
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