Applied psychology
Related papers: 20
About
Applied psychology, as it intersects with robotics and AI, is the systematic application of psychological theories, methods, and measurement tools to understand how humans perceive, interact with, and are affected by robotic and intelligent systems. It draws on principles from social, cognitive, and clinical psychology to investigate phenomena such as trust, anthropomorphism, attitude formation, and emotional response in human-robot interaction (HRI). In robotics and AI, applied psychology informs the design of socially assistive robots, service robots, and companion systems by identifying what makes machines feel trustworthy, likeable, or relatable. Researchers use validated psychological scales to measure user attitudes, anxiety, and acceptance, while studies explore how robot appearance, gender, personality, and behavior shape human responses across diverse populations—including elderly individuals, children with autism, and service industry workers. This matters because even technically sophisticated robots fail to deliver value if users distrust, fear, or reject them. By grounding robot design and deployment in psychological evidence, engineers and developers can create systems that are more effective, ethical, and genuinely beneficial—bridging the gap between engineering capability and real-world human acceptance.
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Top Cited Papers
Measurement Instruments for the Anthropomorphism, Animacy, Likeability, Perceived Intelligence, and Perceived Safety of Robots
Christoph Bartneck, Dana Kulić, Elizabeth A. Croft, Susana Zoghbi
Citations: 3034 • 2008
A Meta-Analysis of Factors Affecting Trust in Human-Robot Interaction
Peter A. Hancock, Deborah R. Billings, Kristin E. Schaefer, Jessie Y. C. Chen, Ewart J. de Visser, Raja Parasuraman
Citations: 1914 • 2011
Understanding anthropomorphism in service provision: a meta-analysis of physical robots, chatbots, and other AI
Markus Blut, Cheng Wang, Nancy V. Wünderlich, Christian Brock
Citations: 1033 • 2021
Smart Technology, Artificial Intelligence, Robotics, and Algorithms (STARA): Employees’ perceptions of our future workplace
David Brougham, Jarrod Haar
Citations: 918 • 2017
Robots for Use in Autism Research
Brian Scassellati, Henny Admoni, Maja J. Matarić
Citations: 914 • 2012
What makes an AI device human-like? The role of interaction quality, empathy and perceived psychological anthropomorphic characteristics in the acceptance of artificial intelligence in the service industry
Corina Pelău, Dan‐Cristian Dabija, Irina Ene
Citations: 804 • 2021
Hotel employee's artificial intelligence and robotics awareness and its impact on turnover intention: The moderating roles of perceived organizational support and competitive psychological climate
Jun Li, Mark A. Bonn, Ben Haobin Ye
Citations: 759 • 2019
Robotic assistants in therapy and education of children with autism: can a small humanoid robot help encourage social interaction skills?
Ben Robins, Kerstin Dautenhahn, René te Boekhorst, Aude Billard
Citations: 686 • 2005
The clinical use of robots for individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders: A critical review
Joshua J. Diehl, Lauren Schmitt, Michael Villano, Charles R. Crowell
Citations: 621 • 2011
Can Robots Manifest Personality?: An Empirical Test of Personality Recognition, Social Responses, and Social Presence in Human–Robot Interaction
Kwan Min Lee, Wei Peng, Seung‐A Annie Jin, Chang Yan
Citations: 586 • 2006
Socially Assistive Robots in Elderly Care: A Systematic Review into Effects and Effectiveness
Roger Bemelmans, Gert Jan Gelderblom, Pieter Jonker, Luc de Witte
Citations: 577 • 2010
Living With Seal Robots—Its Sociopsychological and Physiological Influences on the Elderly at a Care House
K. Wada, Takanori Shibata
Citations: 572 • 2007
What is a robot companion - friend, assistant or butler?
Kerstin Dautenhahn, Sarah Woods, C. Kaouri, Michael L. Walters, Kheng Lee Koay, Iain Werry
Citations: 530 • 2005
Experimental investigation into influence of negative attitudes toward robots on human–robot interaction
Tatsuya Nomura, Takayuki Kanda, Tomohiro Suzuki
Citations: 511 • 2005
Trust in humanoid robots: implications for services marketing
Michelle M. E. van Pinxteren, Ruud W.H. Wetzels, Jessica Rüger, Mark Pluymaekers, Martin Wetzels
Citations: 505 • 2019
A Cross-cultural Study: Effect of Robot Appearance and Task
Dingjun Li, Pei‐Luen Patrick Rau, Ye Li
Citations: 487 • 2010
Exploring influencing variables for the acceptance of social robots
Maartje M.A. de Graaf, Somaya Ben Allouch
Citations: 480 • 2013
When stereotypes meet robots: The double-edge sword of robot gender and personality in human–robot interaction
Benedict Tiong Chee Tay, Younbo Jung, Taezoon Park
Citations: 476 • 2014
Would You Trust a (Faulty) Robot?
Maha Salem, Gabriella Lakatos, Farshid Amirabdollahian, Kerstin Dautenhahn
Citations: 472 • 2015
Measurement of negative attitudes toward robots
Tatsuya Nomura, Tomohiro Suzuki, Takayuki Kanda, Kensuke Kato
Citations: 465 • 2006