Avoiding the Abject and Seeking the Script: Perceived Mind, Morality, and Trust in a Persuasive Social Robot

Social robots are being groomed for human influence, including the implicit and explicit persuasion of humans. Humanlike characteristics understood to enhance robots’ persuasive impact; however, little is known how perceptions two key capacities—mind morality—function in potential. This experiment tests possibility that perceived robot mind morality will correspond with greater impact, moderated by relational trustworthiness a moral appeal capacity logical appeal. Via an online survey, humanoid asks participants help it learn overcome CAPTCHA puzzles access important spaces—either on grounds or do so. Based three performance indicators one self-report indicator compliance, analysis indicates (a) seeing as able perceive act world selectively improves (b) perceiving agentic diminishes though can moderate reduction. For appeals, social-moral mental capacities promote trustworthiness. Findings suggest that, this compliance scenario, accessibility schemas scripts engaging actors may be central whether/how mind, morality, trust function machine persuasion.