How multimodal narrative and visual representations of human-like service robots shape attitudes and social connection.

Introduction: Public attitudes toward service robots are critical to their acceptance across various industries. Previous research suggests that human-like features and behaviours perceived as empathetic may reduce negative perceptions and enhance emotional engagement. However, there is limited empirical evidence on how structured multimodal interventions influence these responses.

Methods: A partially mixed experimental design was employed, featuring one between-subjects factor (group: experimental vs. control) and one within-subjects factor (time: pre-intervention vs. post-intervention), applied only to the experimental group. Two hundred twenty-eight adults (aged 18-65) were randomly assigned to either the experimental or control condition. The intervention included images, video demonstrations of human-like service robots performing socially meaningful gestures, and a narrative vignette depicting human-robot interaction. The control group completed the same assessment measures without the intervention. Outcomes included negative attitudes toward robots (Negative Attitudes Toward Robots Scale, NARS), affect (Positive and Negative Affect Schedule, PANAS), and perceived interpersonal connection (Inclusion of Other in the Self scale, IOS).

Results: The experimental group demonstrated a significant reduction in negative attitudes (p < 0.001, Cohen's d = 0.37), as well as lower negative affect and a greater perceived interpersonal connection with the robots (both p < 0.001). Age moderated baseline attitudes, with younger participants reporting more positive initial views; gender was not a significant factor.

Discussion: These findings suggest that multimodal portrayals of human-like service robots can improve attitudes, affective responses, and interpersonal connection, offering practical insights for robot design, marketing, and public engagement strategies.