How will Autonomous Robots be Viewed? The Influence of Robot Autonomy on Human Psychological Perception

Abstract

Automatic machines have been controversial ever since their appearance, but the introduction of autonomous robots into the workplace seems to be inevitable. This article aims to explore how humans perceive autonomous robots. In this study, we examine the effects of robot autonomy on perceived behavioral control, perceived intelligence, behavioral desire, user intention, and eeriness. Participants watched a video of robots performing various tasks – these robots were presented as either autonomous and capable of disregarding human commands or non-autonomous and only capable of following human commands. Participants who watched the videos of so-called autonomous robots generally rated humans as having weaker control over their perceived behavior, behavioral desire, and user intention than those who watched videos of non-autonomous robots. On the other hand, exposure to an autonomous robot elicited a stronger sense of perceived intelligence and eeriness about the robot than those who watched videos of non-autonomous robots. Our research results provide help for the development of autonomous robots and provide new ideas for the relationship between robot autonomy and human perception.