Anu Lamminen

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About

Anu Lamminen is a researcher at the intersection of early childhood education, human-robot interaction, and social-emotional learning. Her work explores how young children engage with robotic animals, particularly in contexts designed to foster emotional literacy and well-being. In her most-cited study, “A Model for Enhancing Emotional Literacy through Playful Learning with a Robot Dog” (2021, 12 citations), Lamminen compared children’s interactions with a robotic dog versus a living dog during a short intervention in spring 2020. The findings offered early evidence that robotic companions can support social-emotional development in preschool settings. Her earlier work, “Playing with the Opposite of Uncanny” (2020, 6 citations), examined how Finnish preschoolers aged 5–7 perceive and relate to social robots, challenging conventional notions of the “uncanny valley” by highlighting children’s openness and imaginative engagement. By bridging educational science and robotics, Lamminen contributes to designing developmentally appropriate technologies that support emotional growth. Her research is particularly relevant as social robots become more common in classrooms and care settings, offering insights into how playful, non-human interactions can enrich early learning environments.