Lonely Human and Dominant Robot

While social robots offer convenient opportunities for interaction, people may not readily embrace artificial companionship as a substitute for human companionship. This research examines an overlooked question: How can we increase the likelihood of potential users, particularly those experiencing loneliness, developing meaningful connections with robots to satisfy their social needs? Through six studies, we found that individuals who are experiencing greater loneliness tend to hold less favorable attitudes toward companion robots but are more likely to bond with submissive-acting robots over dominant-acting robots.