Magdalena Mayer

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About

Magdalena Mayer is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction, social robotics, and aesthetic cognition. Her work explores how human psychological states—particularly loneliness—shape our perception and anthropomorphization of robots, a contribution that bridges social psychology with robotics design. In her highly cited 2025 paper, "Lonely Minds and Robotic Bonds," she empirically tested the Three-Factor Theory of Anthropomorphism, demonstrating that lonely individuals are more likely to attribute social characteristics to robots, a finding with profound implications for robot design and therapeutic applications. Mayer also pushes the boundaries of robotics and artificial intelligence in the arts. Her 2021 paper, "Using Robotics and A.I. to Physically Explore a Space of Aesthetic Possibilities," investigates how robotic systems can generate unique, individualized aesthetic experiences, challenging traditional notions of art and perception. Her performative work "Disarming II" (2025) further exemplifies this fusion, using an industrial robotic arm learning to move to evoke empathy and emotional resonance in human observers. With a growing citation impact and a unique interdisciplinary approach, Mayer is shaping how we understand robots not just as tools, but as social and aesthetic agents.