Yaoxin Zhang
Papers
2
Total Citations
109
H-Index
2
About
Yaoxin Zhang is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of social robotics, developmental psychology, and autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Her work fundamentally explores how children—both typically developing and those with ASD—perceive, learn from, and attribute mental states to social robots. Zhang’s major contributions include demonstrating that social robots can effectively teach complex social rules, such as distrust and deception, to children with ASD—a finding with profound implications for therapeutic interventions. Her 2019 study on this topic has garnered 79 citations, underscoring its impact. Equally influential is her investigation into the “Theory of Robot Mind,” where she showed that children with and without ASD attribute false beliefs to robots, challenging assumptions about social cognition in human-robot interaction. This work, with 30 citations, advances our understanding of how autistic children engage with artificial social agents. Zhang’s research not only bridges cognitive science and robotics but also offers practical pathways for using robots as educational tools for neurodiverse populations. Her achievements highlight a rare ability to combine rigorous experimental design with compassionate, real-world applications, making her a leading voice in the ethical and developmental dimensions of human-robot interaction.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1
- 2