Erika Herbold
Papers
1
Total Citations
14
H-Index
1
About
Dr. Erika Herbold is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, sociolinguistics, and social robotics. Her work investigates how subtle linguistic cues—particularly dialect and accent—shape human perceptions of robotic agents, challenging assumptions about trust, competence, and social acceptance in human-machine communication. Her most-cited study, “Ick bin een Berlina”: dialect proficiency impacts a robot’s trustworthiness and competence evaluation (2024, 14 citations), demonstrates that robots speaking in a user’s local dialect are perceived as significantly more trustworthy and competent than those using standard language or foreign accents. This finding has profound implications for designing socially intelligent robots that can integrate into diverse cultural and linguistic communities. Herbold’s research bridges computational linguistics and social psychology, offering empirical evidence that dialect alignment can enhance human-robot rapport. By foregrounding the role of regional identity in technology acceptance, she has opened new avenues for inclusive, user-centered robot design. Her work is increasingly cited in robotics, human-computer interaction, and applied linguistics, marking her as a rising voice in the study of socially situated artificial intelligence.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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