An experimental study on embodiment forms and interaction modes in affective robots for anxiety relief and emotional connection

IF 5.1 2区计算机科学 Q1 COMPUTER SCIENCE, CYBERNETICS

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies Pub Date : 2025-08-08 DOI:10.1016/j.ijhcs.2025.103584

Jun Zhang , Yunlu Ding , Hualin Zhang , Shengming Zhang , Xuetao Wei , Qingchuan Li , Jiaxin Zhang

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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Affective robots can elicit psychological responses such as attachment and intimacy, which may help alleviate anxiety and enrich users’ emotional experiences. While such robots can take the form of agents (controlled by algorithms) or avatars (controlled by humans or animals), the differential effects of these embodiment forms on users’ emotional responses remain underexplored, particularly in scenarios where avatars are controlled by animals. In this study, we conducted a Wizard of Oz experiment to compare the emotional experience and anxiety relief provided by a robotic cat under different embodiment forms and interaction modes (unidirectional vs. bidirectional). The results indicate that the avatar embodiment significantly enhances users’ affective experiences, fostering stronger emotional bonds and more effective anxiety relief. However, no significant differences were found between the interaction modes with respect to either anxiety relief or emotional outcomes. These findings offer valuable insights for the design of emotionally engaging embodied intelligent systems in contexts such as emotional companionship and mental health interventions.

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情感机器人焦虑缓解与情感连接的体现形式与互动模式实验研究

情感机器人可以引发依恋、亲密等心理反应，有助于缓解焦虑，丰富用户的情感体验。虽然这些机器人可以采用代理（由算法控制）或化身（由人类或动物控制）的形式，但这些化身形式对用户情绪反应的不同影响仍未得到充分探索，特别是在化身由动物控制的场景中。本研究以《绿野仙踪》为实验对象，比较不同体现形式和交互模式（单向与双向）下机器猫的情绪体验和焦虑缓解。研究结果表明，虚拟化身显着增强了用户的情感体验，培养了更强的情感联系，更有效地缓解了焦虑。然而，在焦虑缓解或情绪结果方面，互动模式之间没有发现显著差异。这些发现为在情感陪伴和心理健康干预等环境中设计情感参与的具身智能系统提供了有价值的见解。

本文章由计算机程序翻译，如有差异，请以英文原文为准。

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来源期刊

International Journal of Human-Computer Studies 工程技术-计算机：控制论

CiteScore

11.50

自引率

5.60%

发文量

108

审稿时长

3 months

期刊介绍： The International Journal of Human-Computer Studies publishes original research over the whole spectrum of work relevant to the theory and practice of innovative interactive systems. The journal is inherently interdisciplinary, covering research in computing, artificial intelligence, psychology, linguistics, communication, design, engineering, and social organization, which is relevant to the design, analysis, evaluation and application of innovative interactive systems. Papers at the boundaries of these disciplines are especially welcome, as it is our view that interdisciplinary approaches are needed for producing theoretical insights in this complex area and for effective deployment of innovative technologies in concrete user communities. Research areas relevant to the journal include, but are not limited to: • Innovative interaction techniques • Multimodal interaction • Speech interaction • Graphic interaction • Natural language interaction • Interaction in mobile and embedded systems • Interface design and evaluation methodologies • Design and evaluation of innovative interactive systems • User interface prototyping and management systems • Ubiquitous computing • Wearable computers • Pervasive computing • Affective computing • Empirical studies of user behaviour • Empirical studies of programming and software engineering • Computer supported cooperative work • Computer mediated communication • Virtual reality • Mixed and augmented Reality • Intelligent user interfaces • Presence ...