User and Robot Personality Interactions in Parasocial Presence and Intention to Use Social Robots

Abstract

The present research explores how the relationship between a user’s personality and the perceived personality of a social robot influences the relationship of parasocial presence, para-friendship, and intention to use a social robot. Specifically, the research examines how continued use of a social robot is related to the interaction of user and perceived robot personality through the mediating role of parasocial presence. Participants interacted with a social robot in a semi-structured interaction and provided ratings of parasocial presence, robot personality, and use intention. Although parasocial presence and para-friendship aspects the interaction predicted intention to use the robot, personality similarity at the profile level did not impact this relationship.