Papers
10
Total Citations
129
H-Index
7
About
Marialucia Cuciniello is a researcher specializing in human-robot interaction, assistive technologies, and the psychological dimensions of technology acceptance across diverse user populations. Her work sits at a compelling intersection of social psychology and robotics, with a particular focus on how elderly users perceive and accept robotic and virtual assistive systems. Cuciniello's most significant contributions center on understanding what drives seniors' acceptance of robots, examining variables such as human likeness, gender presentation, and ethnicity. Her 2019 and 2020 studies — each accumulating 24–26 citations — established foundational insights into elder preferences, notably demonstrating that older adults tend to favor female robots with higher degrees of human likeness. This research has meaningfully informed the design of assistive technologies for aging populations. Beyond elderly users, Cuciniello has broadened her scope to compare generational differences in technology preferences, exploring how adolescents, young adults, and seniors differently evaluate humanoid versus android robots and virtual agents. Her 2023 overview of socially engaging interactive systems further reflects her expanding interest in chatbots and virtual agents. With over 125 cumulative citations, Cuciniello's research provides essential empirical grounding for developers and policymakers seeking to create genuinely user-centered assistive technologies — making her work particularly valuable for students and researchers navigating the rapidly evolving field of social robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Elders prefer female robots with a high degree of human likeness26 citations · 2019
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- 5Seniors’ Appreciation of Humanoid Robots13 citations · 2019
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