Papers
3
Total Citations
52
H-Index
2
About
Maria Teresa Riviello is a leading researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, assistive technology, and social cognition. Her work focuses on how demographic factors—particularly age and gender—influence humans' perception of and interaction with robots and emotional stimuli. Riviello’s most impactful contributions center on elders’ acceptance of assistive robots, a critical area as global populations age. Her landmark 2019 study, cited 26 times, revealed that seniors prefer female robots with a high degree of human likeness, establishing a clear methodology for assessing user preferences in this novel field. She expanded this in her 2020 work (24 citations), systematically examining how a robot’s human likeness, gender, and ethnicity shape elders’ attitudes toward healthcare assistants. Beyond robotics, Riviello also investigates fundamental human abilities, such as in her 2022 study on age and gender effects in decoding posed versus naturalistic emotional faces. Her research is notable for its practical implications—directly informing the design of more acceptable and effective assistive technologies for aging populations. By blending rigorous experimental design with real-world relevance, Riviello provides essential insights for engineers, psychologists, and policymakers working to integrate robots into elder care.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Elders prefer female robots with a high degree of human likeness26 citations · 2019
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