Saori Tanaka
Papers
1
Total Citations
23
H-Index
1
About
Saori Tanaka’s research lies at the compelling intersection of developmental psychology, robotics, and human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on how young children perceive and respond to social contingency. Her most cited work, a 2009 study on a non-humanoid robot in the “uncanny valley,” experimentally analyzed how 2–3 year old children react to behavioral contingency, revealing that even non-humanoid agents can elicit distinct responses when their behaviors appear socially contingent. This foundational study, with 23 citations, bridges insights from classic developmental paradigms—such as the double video and still face procedures—with emerging questions in social robotics. Tanaka’s contributions help illuminate the early cognitive mechanisms underlying social perception, offering critical implications for designing robots that can engage naturally with humans. Her work is particularly notable for its interdisciplinary approach, combining rigorous experimental methods from developmental science with innovative robotic platforms. For students and researchers, Tanaka’s research provides a unique lens into how the boundaries between human and machine interaction blur in early childhood, shaping both our understanding of social cognition and the future of human-centered robotics.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1