Perceptions of Assistive Robots at Work: An Experimental Approach to Social Influence

Abstract

In this study, we examined human reactions to other people’s experiences of using assistive robots at work. An online vignette experiment was conducted among respondents from the United States (N = 1059). In the experiment, participants read a written scenario in which another person had started using assistive robots to help with a daily work-related task. The experiment manipulated the closeness of the messenger (familiar versus unfamiliar colleague) and message orientation (positive versus negative). Finding out positive user experiences of a familiar or unfamiliar colleague increased positive attitude toward assistive robots, perceived robot usefulness, and perceived robot use self-efficacy. Furthermore, those who reported higher perceived robot suitability to one’s occupational field and openness to experiences reported more positive attitude toward assistive robots, higher perceived robot usefulness, and perceived robot use self-efficacy. The results suggest that finding out other people’s positive user experiences has a positive effect on perceptions of using assistive robots to help with a daily work-related task. Perceptions of assistive robots at work are also associated with individual and contextual factors such as openness to experiences and perceived robot suitability to one’s occupational field. This is one of the first studies to experimentally investigate the role of social influence in the perceptions of assistive robots at work.