Bensheng Qiu

University of Science and Technology of China

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Bensheng Qiu’s research lies at the compelling intersection of social neuroscience and human-robot interaction, exploring how our brains evaluate and respond to robots. His major contributions center on the neural mechanisms underlying social evaluations of robots, particularly the role of the amygdala in processing humanoid forms. In his most cited work, “Separable amygdala activation patterns in the evaluations of robots” (2024, 3 citations), Qiu demonstrates that distinct amygdala subregions are engaged when we assess robots socially, offering a neurobiological basis for the unease many feel toward humanoid machines. His earlier paper, “Humanoid robots are perceived as an evolutionary threat” (2021, 2 citations), draws on science fiction narratives to argue that humanoid robots trigger deep-seated evolutionary threat responses, a finding with profound implications for robot design and public acceptance. Though early in his citation trajectory, Qiu’s work is notable for bridging cognitive neuroscience with real-world robotics challenges, providing a framework to understand why some robots feel “creepy” or unsettling. His research is essential reading for students and scholars interested in the neural roots of social perception and the psychological barriers to human-robot coexistence.