Jan‐Philipp Stein

About

Jan-Philipp Stein is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction and the psychology of technology, exploring how people perceive and respond to humanoid robots and virtual agents. His work centers on the uncanny valley effect, robot-mediated communication, and the psychological impact of anthropomorphic design. Stein’s most-cited paper (49 citations) investigates user responses to humanoid robots across real life, virtual reality, 3D, and 2D presentations, revealing how mediated depictions shape evaluations. He has also shown that depicting advanced robots in harmful situations can improve user perceptions (21 citations), and that inconsistencies in virtual agents’ facial proportions and vocal realism reduce credibility but not persuasive success (14 citations). His studies on power-posing robots (14 citations) demonstrate how posture and size influence perceived dominance, competence, and threat, while his work on “mind-reading machines” (9 citations) examines distinct reactions to thought-detecting versus emotion-detecting robots. Stein’s recent contributions include exploring the uncanny valley’s layered complexities (2024) and individual differences in aversion to robots with complex mental abilities (2024). His research offers critical insights for designing socially acceptable and effective robotic and virtual systems, with growing impact in human-computer interaction and social robotics.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   User Responses to a Humanoid Robot Observed in Real Life, Virtual Reality, 3D and 2D

   49 citations · 2021
2. 2
   Improving evaluations of advanced robots by depicting them in harmful situations

   21 citations · 2022
3. 3
   Uncanny…But Convincing? Inconsistency Between a Virtual Agent’s Facial Proportions and Vocal Realism Reduces Its Credibility and Attractiveness, but Not Its Persuasive Success

   14 citations · 2018
4. 4
   Power-Posing Robots: The Influence of a Humanoid Robot’s Posture and Size on its Perceived Dominance, Competence, Eeriness, and Threat

   14 citations · 2022
5. 5
   Mind-reading machines: Distinct user responses to thought-detecting and emotion-detecting robots.

   9 citations · 2022
6. 6
   After confronting one uncanny valley, another awaits

   9 citations · 2024
7. 7
   Aversion against machines with complex mental abilities: The role of individual differences

   5 citations · 2024
8. 8
   Valenced Media Effects on Robot-Related Attitudes and Mental Models: A Parasocial Contact Approach

   5 citations · 2023

Key Collaborators

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