Predictors of psychological anthropomorphization, mind perception, and the fulfillment of social needs: A case study with a zoomorphic robot

We conducted a human-robot interaction (HRI) experiment in which we tested the effect of inclusionary status (social inclusion vs. social exclusion) and a dispositional correlate of anthropomorphism on social needs fulfillment and the evaluation of a social robot, respectively. The experiment was initiated by an interaction phase including free play between the user and the zoomorphic robot Pleo. This was followed by the experimental manipulation according to which participants were exposed to an experience of social inclusion or social exclusion during a computer game. Subsequently, participants evaluated the robot regarding psychological anthropomorphism, mind perception, and reported the experienced fulfillment of social needs as well as their individual disposition to anthropomorphize. The present research aimed at demonstrating that situationally induced inclusionary status should predominantly influence experienced social needs fulfillment, but not anthropomorphic inferences about a robot. Analogously, we presumed that evaluations of the robot should mainly be driven by the individual disposition to anthropomorphize nonhuman entities, whereas inclusionary status should not affect these judgments. As predicted, inclusionary status only affected experienced social needs fulfillment, whereas the experimental manipulation did not affect robot-related evaluations. In a similar vein, participants low (vs. high) in anthropomorphism differed in their assessment of humanity and mind perception of the robot prototype, whereas inclusionary status did not affect these anthropomorphic inferences. Results are discussed in light of the existing literature on social exclusion, social needs fulfillment, and anthropomorphization of robots.