M.L.C. Spekman
Papers
3
Total Citations
44
H-Index
2
About
Dr. M.L.C. Spekman is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction (HRI), emotional psychology, and healthcare technology. Her work fundamentally explores how people’s emotional states and coping mechanisms shape their perceptions of social robots, particularly in high-stakes healthcare environments. Spekman’s major contribution lies in demonstrating that emotional coping appraisals—how individuals evaluate and manage stress—directly influence their acceptance of robotic caregivers. Her most cited paper (34 citations) reveals that people employing emotion-based coping strategies perceive healthcare robots differently than those using problem-focused approaches, a finding critical for designing empathetic robotic systems. In subsequent work (8 citations), she showed that a robot’s physical presence can override prior emotional effects, challenging assumptions about emotional transfer in HRI. Spekman’s research has profound implications for robot design, suggesting that successful healthcare robots must adapt to users’ psychological states rather than merely performing tasks. Her work bridges cognitive science and robotics, offering a human-centered framework for deploying social robots in emotionally charged settings like hospitals and elder care.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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