Abstract
Using a simple neuroscience-inspired procedure to beam human subjects into robots, we previously demonstrated by visuo-motor manipulations that embodiment into a robot can enhance the acceptability and closeness felt towards the robot. In that study, the feelings of likeability and closeness toward the robot were significantly related to the sense of agency, independently of the sensations of enfacement and location. Here, using the same paradigm we investigated the effect of a purely sensory manipulation on the sense of robotic embodiment associated to social cognition. Wearing a head-mounted display, participants saw the visual scene captured from the robot eyes. By positioning a mirror in front of the robot, subjects saw themselves as a robot. Tactile stimulation was provided by stroking synchronously or not with a paintbrush the same location of the subject and robot faces. In contrast to the previous motor induction of embodiment which particularly affected agency, tactile induction yields more generalized effects on the perception of ownership, location and agency. Interestingly, the links between positive social feelings towards the robot and the strength of the embodiment sensations were not observed. We conclude that the embodiment into a robot is not sufficient in itself to induce changes in social cognition.
Highlights
Using a simple neuroscience-inspired procedure to beam human subjects into robots, we previously demonstrated by visuo-motor manipulations that embodiment into a robot can enhance the acceptability and closeness felt towards the robot
The synchrony between behavioural events constitutes a key feature in the manifestation of the feeling to be embodied into the other, and in self –recognition and social cohesion[29–33]. This observation has been extended to human–robot interactions as synchronous movements between human and robot can lead to more SoE25,27, acceptability[27] and even anthropomorphisation towards the robot[34]
We recently described a link between the sense of embodiment, the agency and location, induced by visuo-motor manipulation and social attractiveness toward a robot
Summary
Using a simple neuroscience-inspired procedure to beam human subjects into robots, we previously demonstrated by visuo-motor manipulations that embodiment into a robot can enhance the acceptability and closeness felt towards the robot. We investigate the effects of sensory manipulations during robotic telepresence on the type (ownership, enfacement, location, agency) and the strength of embodiment and their relationship to social and affective attributes toward the robot To address this issue, we used a telepresence paradigm similar to our previous e xperiment[27] and we characterized subjects’ embodiment into a robot induced by visuotactile stimulation. In order to determine the respective effects—of the robot morphology, humanoid vs non-humanoid (R-Type) and—of the synchrony state, correlated versus uncorrelated (R-State), behavioral responses were compared between R-Type and R-State These results reveal that tactile modalities can induce embodiment into a robot but the information transferred by the tactile modality appears to affect differently the SoE as compared to the motor modality as previously observed. Though both modalities can induce a sense of agency, while voluntary head movements rendered a robot socially acceptable, passive tactile strokes on the cheek do not suffice to produce this acceptability
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