Nikolai Bock
Papers
7
Total Citations
267
H-Index
7
About
Nikolai Bock is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction (HRI), focusing on how people perceive, evaluate, and respond to social robots. His work bridges social psychology and robotics, exploring the psychological mechanisms that shape human-robot relationships. Bock’s most cited paper (102 citations) demonstrates that a robot’s social skills and objections can discourage people from switching it off, revealing how deeply users treat robots as social agents. He developed and validated the Self-Efficacy in Human-Robot-Interaction Scale (SE-HRI, 61 citations), a widely used tool for measuring individuals’ confidence in using robotic technologies. Bock also introduced the EmCorp-Scale (47 citations), a theoretical framework for understanding how perceptions of a robot’s body-related capabilities mediate embodiment effects. His research on morphological features (24 citations) shows that not all robots are evaluated equally; capability attributions based on appearance drive user assessments. Bock has also explored social exclusion from robot-robot communication and the stress-reducing potential of robot touch. His work is notable for its rigorous scale development and experimental designs, providing foundational tools and insights for the HRI community.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
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- 3The Peculiarities of Robot Embodiment (EmCorp-Scale)47 citations · 2018
- 4
- 5Not Your Cup of Tea?14 citations · 2017
- 6
- 7Your Touch Leaves Me Cold, Robot.7 citations · 2018