Jonathan Benitez
University of California, Los Angeles, Walt Disney (United States)
Papers
2
Total Citations
211
H-Index
2
About
Jonathan Benitez is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, with a focus on how physical appearance shapes social perception and evaluative responses toward robots. His work sits at the intersection of social psychology, robotics, and design, exploring how gendered and machinelike features influence trait inferences, liking, and willingness to interact. Benitez’s most-cited paper, “The Social Perception of Humanoid and Non-Humanoid Robots: Effects of Gendered and Machinelike Features” (2018, 192 citations), is a foundational study demonstrating that robot appearance triggers automatic social judgments—such as warmth and competence—paralleling human social cognition. His earlier work, “The Authority of Appearance” (2017, 19 citations), further investigates how physical features drive evaluative responses, revealing that robots’ design can either enhance or hinder acceptance depending on context and function. These contributions have significant implications for designing socially acceptable robots in healthcare, service, and domestic settings. Benitez’s research is widely cited in human-robot interaction and social robotics, and he is recognized for bridging theoretical frameworks from social psychology with applied robotics, offering critical insights into how robot appearance shapes human trust and engagement.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2