Juho Halonen
Papers
8
Total Citations
123
H-Index
6
About
Juho Halonen is a leading researcher in moral psychology and human-robot interaction, probing how people perceive and judge robots in ethically charged contexts. His work centers on the uncanny valley effect and the moral psychology of robots in intimate and caregiving roles. Halonen’s most cited study (41 citations) rigorously evaluates the replicability of the uncanny valley effect, challenging assumptions about how humanlike robots evoke unease. He has made landmark contributions to the ethics of sex robots and nursing robots, showing that pathogen disgust shapes reactions to interhuman sex but not interandroid sex, and that people hold robots to heightened moral standards—expecting innocence over utilitarianism in rescue dilemmas. Across multiple large-scale experiments (total N > 3,700), Halonen reveals that humans dislike robots violating patient autonomy but paradoxically approve of robots disobeying orders. His work has garnered over 120 citations, shaping debates on AI ethics and robot design. By blending experimental rigor with real-world dilemmas, Halonen illuminates the psychological foundations of our moral relationships with machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Evaluating the replicability of the uncanny valley effect41 citations · 2018
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- 7Evaluating the Replicability of the Uncanny Valley Effect3 citations · 2018
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