Unveiling robotophobia and cyber-dystopianism

Abstract

A survey of 873 undergraduate students was conducted to understand which individual factors affect subjects' attitudes toward robots. A third of participants (N=284) were exposed to a humanoid robot, another third (N=293) to a doggy robot, and the remaining third (N=296) to an android. Results showed that in the humanoid condition individuals recognize more humanlike characteristics in robots than in the other two conditions. However humanoid appearance did not affect participants' attitudes toward robots, as others predictors recognized by previous research indicate, such as gender, religion, and perceived competence with information and communication technologies (ICT).