Mariya Toneva

Papers

Total Citations

312

H-Index

About

Mariya Toneva investigates how humans perceive and interact with social robots, with a particular focus on the cognitive and behavioral effects of a robot’s physical presence, gaze, and social cues. Her most cited work, “The Physical Presence of a Robot Tutor Increases Cognitive Learning Gains” (248 citations), demonstrates through a 100-participant study that a physically present robot tutor significantly enhances learning outcomes compared to a virtual or remote agent—a foundational finding for the design of educational robots. In complementary research, she explores the limits of robot social influence, showing that robot gaze does not reflexively cue human attention as effectively as human gaze (60 citations), challenging assumptions about automatic social responses to machines. Toneva also contributes to understanding social grouping dynamics in robots, examining how behavioral mimicry, appearance, and eye gaze shape human-robot group perceptions. Her work bridges cognitive science, human-robot interaction, and education, offering critical insights for building robots that are both effective and socially appropriate. Through rigorous experimental design, Toneva has helped define how robots can meaningfully engage human attention and learning.