Staci Meredith Weiss

University of Cambridge, Temple University

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About

Staci Meredith Weiss investigates the intersection of social cognition, human-robot interaction, and affective neuroscience, with a particular focus on how we perceive and connect with artificial agents. Her work explores the psychological and neural underpinnings of our responses to technology, especially when it blurs the line between human and machine. In her highly cited study, “Alexa, how are you feeling today?” (2020, 14 citations), she examined the uncanny valley phenomenon, revealing how smart devices can evoke feelings of eeriness and discomfort, a critical insight for designing more intuitive and acceptable technologies. Further advancing this field, Weiss employed electroencephalography (EEG) in her 2018 study, “Sensorimotor Oscillations During a Reciprocal Touch Paradigm With a Human or Robot Partner” (6 citations), demonstrating that our brain’s sensorimotor activity is dynamically modulated by whether we believe we are interacting with a human or a robot. By bridging social neuroscience and robotics, Weiss provides foundational knowledge on the cognitive processes that shape our relationships with increasingly sophisticated artificial partners, informing both ethical design and our understanding of social connection itself.