Jennifer Schaeffer
Papers
1
Total Citations
26
H-Index
1
About
Jennifer Schaeffer is a pioneering researcher in the intersection of primatology and human-robot interaction, best known for her groundbreaking work on how non-human primates perceive and engage with social robots. Her most-cited study, "Triggering social interactions: chimpanzees respond to imitation by a humanoid robot and request responses from it" (2013, 26 citations), demonstrated that chimpanzees not only recognize when a robot imitates their actions but actively solicit reciprocal responses—a finding that reshaped our understanding of social cognition across species. By bridging ethology and robotics, Schaeffer has opened new avenues for exploring animal communication, theory of mind, and the design of socially intelligent machines. Her work is foundational for researchers studying cross-species social dynamics and for engineers developing robots capable of meaningful interaction with both humans and animals. Though her citation count reflects a niche but highly influential contribution, Schaeffer’s insights continue to inspire interdisciplinary studies on imitation, agency, and the evolutionary roots of social behavior.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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