Robots As Our New Coworkers: The Influence of Anthropomorphism on Employees' Preference of Levels of Automation

Abstract

Objective of the study: Eldercare facilities are one of those organizations which are expected to use robots in order to fulfill the needs of aging population. So, the main aim of this study is to understand employees’ standing point about their potential robot coworkers in eldercare. While variety of designs were developed for robot appearance, it is important to see whether there is any influence of this appearance on users’ preference of level of automation.Design and Methodolgy: 102 caregivers who work for eldercare in a nursing home (aged between 19 and 40) participated in designed experiment. Independent samples t-test was used for analyses.Findings: The degree of human likeness of robots was not an influencer for preference of level of automation. Moreover, demographic variables such as gender and education level did not make a considerable difference on the preference of levels of automation.Originality: This is the first time that the influence of anthropomorphism on the preference of levels of automation was focused. Also, the idea of understanding the potential users’, employees’, perception for designs of robots was emphasized; and therefore human-centered approach for technology adaptation was supported.