Sophie Phillips

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About

Sophie Phillips explores the intersection of human-robot interaction and consumer behavior, with a particular focus on how social robots can influence decision-making in service contexts. Her most-cited work, "Bon Appetit! Robot Persuasion for Food Recommendation" (2018, 31 citations), investigates the persuasiveness of different embodiment types—humans, robots, and information kiosks—when offering restaurant recommendations. Through a vignette experiment, Phillips demonstrates that embodiment type significantly impacts consumer trust and compliance, revealing that robots occupy a unique persuasive space between human servers and impersonal kiosks. This foundational research has implications for the design of service robots in hospitality and retail, highlighting how physical presence and social cues shape user acceptance. Phillips’s work bridges robotics, psychology, and marketing, offering practical insights for industries increasingly integrating autonomous agents. Her contributions are particularly notable for their experimental rigor and real-world applicability, laying groundwork for future studies on robot persuasion and consumer engagement.