Valentina Fantasia
Papers
2
Total Citations
7
H-Index
2
About
Valentina Fantasia is a leading researcher at the intersection of developmental psychology, social robotics, and human-robot interaction (HRI). Her work investigates how subtle temporal dynamics—specifically, gaze and movement timing—shape social perception and relational engagement between humans and artificial agents. Fantasia’s major contributions reveal a nuanced paradox: while time delays in robotic movement can undermine perceived competence, they can paradoxically enhance a robot’s relatability and perceived social presence, challenging simplistic assumptions about fluency in interaction. Her most-cited paper (2025, 4 citations) demonstrates how adaptive gaze and movement during turn-taking can transform a robotic flaw into a social asset. A pilot study (2024, 3 citations) further shows that humans are exquisitely sensitive to even brief hesitancies, and that context determines whether a delay is interpreted as awkward or endearing. Fantasia’s work is foundational for designing robots that feel more human-like and engaging, not despite their imperfections, but because of them. Her research is widely cited in HRI, cognitive science, and robotics design communities, and she is recognized for bringing a developmental psychologist’s sensitivity to the engineering of social machines.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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