Human–Robot Interaction Through the Lens of Social Psychological Theories of Intergroup Behavior

Abstract

This article reviews our program of research on human–robot interaction, which is grounded in theory and research on human intergroup relations from the field of social psychology. Under the “computers as social actors” paradigm, people treat robots in similar ways as they treat other humans. We argue that robots’ differences from humans lead them to be regarded as members of a potentially competing outgroup. Based on this conceptual parallel, our studies examine four related areas: People’s reactions to multiple (as opposed to single) robots; characteristics of robot groups (such as synchrony) that may influence people’s responses; tests of interventions that have been demonstrated to reduce prejudice in humans; and tests of other theoretical predictions drawn from work on human intergroup behavior. Several of these studies examined cultural differences between the U.S. and Japan. We offer brief descriptions and citations of 10 previously published studies (total N = 1,635), as well as 12 unpublished studies (total N = 1,692) that produced null or inconsistent results—to make them part of the scientific record and potentially inspire related investigations by others. Finally, we offer some broad conclusions based on this program of research.