Annette M. Masterson

Temple College, University of Michigan–Ann Arbor

Papers

Total Citations

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About

Annette M. Masterson is a critical voice in the emerging field of human-robot intimacy, examining how sex robots are socially constructed, marketed, and rebranded. Her work applies social construction of technology (SCOT) theory to interrogate the narratives surrounding robotic companionship. Her most-cited paper, “Designing a Loving Robot: A Social Construction Analysis of a Sex Robot Creator’s Vision” (2022, 13 citations), analyzes how RealDoll CEO Matt McMullen frames the Harmony model—one of the world’s first sex robots—as a supportive companion, revealing the tensions between technological design and social expectations of love and intimacy. In her more recent work, “Rebranding Sex Robots: Realbotix’s Corporate Metamorphosis” (2025, 1 citation), Masterson traces how companies like Realbotix strategically shift their messaging from sexual to social companionship, highlighting the deliberate effacement of sexuality in favor of therapeutic and relational framing. Though early in her career, Masterson’s research offers a vital sociological lens on the ethical, cultural, and commercial dimensions of robotic intimacy, making her a distinctive contributor to science and technology studies (STS) and critical robotics scholarship.