Chin-Chang Ho

Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis

Papers

Total Citations

807

H-Index

About

Chin-Chang Ho is a leading figure in human-robot interaction and the psychology of anthropomorphism, best known for his groundbreaking work on the Uncanny Valley. His research rigorously investigates the perceptual and cognitive mechanisms that trigger unease when humans encounter nearly human-like robots or animated characters. In his seminal 2008 paper, “Does Japan really have robot mania?” (330 citations), Ho challenged cultural stereotypes by using implicit and explicit measures to reveal nuanced attitudes toward robots. He further advanced the field with “Measuring the Uncanny Valley Effect” (228 citations), providing methodological rigor to a previously elusive concept. His 2008 study “Human emotion and the uncanny valley” (149 citations) applied sophisticated statistical techniques—including regression, GLM, factor analysis, MDS, and kernel methods—to demonstrate that the eerie feeling is a key factor in perceptual and cognitive discrimination between human and humanlike forms. Complementing this, “Sensitivity to the proportions of faces that vary in human likeness” (100 citations) explored how subtle facial deviations trigger aversion. Ho’s work has fundamentally shaped how engineers and designers approach humanlike robotics, making him an essential reference for anyone studying the psychological boundaries between humans and machines.