Probing People's Attitudes and Behaviors Using Humanlike Agents

Abstract

Android science is an interdisciplinary framework for studying human cognition and interaction based on the finding that android robots—and, to lesser extents, humanoid robots and computergenerated humans—can elicit the sorts of responses people direct toward each other. As a result, these humanlike agents can be used as stand-ins for humans in social, psychological, cognitive, and neuroscientific experiments. We describe a selection of current and recently completed investigations into some of the potential factors influencing attitudes and behavior toward humanlike agents, including facial appearance, physical embodiment, speech quality, fluidity of motion, and contingent interactivity.