Meghann Fior

Papers

Total Citations

265

H-Index

About

Meghann Fior is a leading researcher in child–robot interaction, exploring how children perceive, befriend, and assist robotic agents. Her work sits at the intersection of developmental psychology and human–robot interaction, with a focus on how young users attribute social and emotional qualities to machines. Her most influential study, "Understanding how children understand robots: Perceived animism in child–robot interaction" (2011), has garnered 186 citations and reveals how children’s judgments of animism shape their engagement with robots. In her foundational work "Children’s relationships with robots: robot is child’s new friend" (2010, 42 citations), she demonstrated that after brief interactions, children readily attribute friendship features—such as trust and companionship—to robots. Her study "Would Children Help a Robot in Need?" (2010, 37 citations) further shows that children exhibit prosocial behavior toward robots, treating them as social partners deserving of assistance. These contributions have profound implications for designing educational and assistive robots that resonate with young users. Fior’s research not only advances theoretical understanding of social cognition but also informs the ethical and practical development of child-friendly AI.