Megan Livingstone

Papers

Total Citations

177

H-Index

About

Megan Livingstone’s research lies at the intersection of social psychology and human-robot interaction, exploring how people perceive and respond to robots in social contexts. Her most-cited work, “The Interactive Effects of Robot Anthropomorphism and Robot Ability on Perceived Threat and Support for Robotics Research” (2016, 177 citations), is a landmark study that reveals a critical paradox: highly anthropomorphic robots with advanced abilities can actually increase perceived threat—both realistic (e.g., job displacement) and identity-based (e.g., loss of human uniqueness)—thereby reducing public support for robotics research. This finding challenges the assumption that making robots more human-like always improves acceptance. Through carefully designed experiments, Livingstone demonstrates that the interplay between a robot’s appearance and capability shapes threat perceptions in ways that can backfire. Her work has significant implications for robot design, public policy, and ethical debates around automation. By uncovering the psychological mechanisms that drive resistance to robotics, Livingstone provides essential insights for researchers and engineers aiming to foster positive human-robot coexistence. Her research continues to influence studies on technology acceptance and social robotics.