Reiko Matsunaka
Papers
3
Total Citations
39
H-Index
2
About
Reiko Matsunaka is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of developmental psychology, human-robot interaction, and educational technology. Her work explores how robots can serve as social partners in learning, particularly for young children. In her highly cited 2021 study, Matsunaka used EEG signals to assess engagement and learning during child-robot interaction, demonstrating that neural measures can capture subtle cognitive states during human-robot encounters (30 citations). Earlier, her 2012 work revealed a critical behavioral finding: infants show searching errors only when observing human actions, not mechanical ones, suggesting an innate sensitivity to human agency that has implications for designing developmentally appropriate robots (7 citations). Most recently, her 2025 study on robotic storytelling for second language vocabulary acquisition in classroom settings shows the practical application of her research, with robots facilitating L2 learning through embodied social interaction. Matsunaka’s contributions bridge fundamental questions about human social cognition with applied robotics, offering insights for educators, developmental psychologists, and roboticists. Her work is essential reading for anyone interested in how robots can meaningfully support children’s learning and development.
Research Focus
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Top Papers
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