The role of prior exposure in the likelihood of adopting the Intentional Stance toward a humanoid robot

Abstract

Abstract One of the key questions in human–robot interaction research is whether humans perceive robots as intentional agents, or rather only as mindless machines. Research has shown that, in some contexts, people do perceive robots as intentional agents. However, the role of prior exposure to robots as a factor potentially playing a role in the attribution of intentionality is still poorly understood. To this end, we asked two samples of high school students, which differed with respect to the type of education they were pursuing (scientific/technical vs. artistic) to complete the InStance Test, measuring individual tendency to attribute intentionality toward robots. Results showed that, overall, participants were more prone to attribute intentionality to robots after being exposed to a theoretical lecture about robots’ functionality and use. Moreover, participants’ scientific/technical education resulted in a higher likelihood of attribution of intentionality to robots, relative to those with artistic education. Therefore, we suggest that the type of education, as well as individually acquired knowledge, modulates the likelihood of attributing intentionality toward robots.