Matt Dunlap
Papers
1
Total Citations
8
H-Index
1
About
Matt Dunlap’s research sits at the compelling intersection of human-robot interaction and moral psychology, exploring how people perceive and respond to robots as social agents. His most-cited work, “Actions speak louder than looks: Does robot appearance affect human reactions to robot protest and distress?” (2014, 8 citations), investigates whether a robot’s physical design influences the agency humans attribute to it—and crucially, whether that agency can sway a person’s commands when the robot protests or shows distress. This experiment challenges assumptions about robotic obedience, revealing that appearance alone does not determine how seriously we take a robot’s objections. Dunlap’s contributions push beyond technical design into ethical territory, probing how future humans might negotiate with autonomous machines that resist. While his citation count is modest, the work’s forward-looking relevance to robot rights, consent, and emotional AI is significant. Dunlap’s research is a must-read for anyone interested in the social dynamics of robotics, offering early experimental evidence that actions—not just looks—shape our moral relationships with machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1