Sterre Anna Mariam van der Horst

Papers

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About

Sterre Anna Mariam van der Horst is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction and health behavior change. Her work focuses on designing social robots that can effectively promote healthier lifestyles, particularly targeting sedentary behavior through innovative communication strategies. Her most-cited paper, "Robot-Initiated Social Control of Sedentary Behavior: Comparing the Impact of Relationship- and Target-Focused Strategies" (2025), examines how different social control tactics from robots influence user responses, drawing on theories of interpersonal relationships to optimize robot persuasion. With 2 citations in its early publication stage, this work is already shaping discussions in socially assistive robotics. Van der Horst’s major contribution lies in bridging social psychology and robotics, demonstrating that robots can leverage relationship-focused strategies to nudge behavior change more effectively than target-focused ones. Her research has implications for chronic disease prevention, workplace wellness, and aging populations. As a rising scholar, van der Horst is recognized for her interdisciplinary approach, combining experimental design with nuanced understanding of human social dynamics. Her work promises to transform how robots engage with humans in health contexts, making her a key voice in the future of socially intelligent technology.