When expressive humanoid robots are awkward, people become wary – new brain study
People who interact with expressive robots that make mistakes react with suspicion rather than seeing the bots as malfunctioning machines.
New research in the field of human-robot interaction suggests that expressive humanoid robots may provoke suspicion and erode trust when they make errors, particularly if those errors violate social norms. In a study published in Science Robotics, participants engaged in conversations and joint decision-making with the expressive robot Pepper, which is designed to be animated and emotion-aware.
When the robot made mistakes, such as interrupting or offering illogical suggestions, participants reported higher oxytocin levels, often dubbed the "love hormone." Contrary to expectations, higher oxytocin levels correlated with decreased trust and reduced willingness to follow the robot's advice. The study used functional near-infrared spectroscopy to monitor brain activity, focusing on the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the medial prefrontal cortex.
These regions were particularly active when animated robots erred, indicating that participants found the errors socially violating rather than just technical glitches. This brain activity led to increased coordination between the two regions, which in turn predicted lower trust and less influence of the robot on participants' behavior.
This finding challenges the common assumption that lifelike, socially expressive robots would earn more trust, even when they make mistakes. The researchers suggest that further studies should explore how these results apply to diverse populations and different robot designs, as well as investigate whether robots can repair trust after making errors.
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