Germ-Free Robotic Friends: Loneliness during the COVID-19 Pandemic Enhanced the Willingness to Self-Disclose towards Robots

During the COVID-19 pandemic, many people felt lonely. Social robots may serve to alleviate such feelings of social disconnection. Prior research pointed out that lonely or socially excluded individuals were particularly willing interact with robots, because they tend anthropomorphize robots. Such anthropomorphization facilitate deeming suitable as interaction partners. To extend existing on role for people, we examined effect inclusionary status (i.e., inclusion vs. exclusion control) mind perception, perceived warmth, and participants’ willingness self-disclose towards a robot. We hypothesized would increase Above beyond, assessed self-reported loneliness during before pandemic. Whereas had no dependent variables, correlational analyses revealed more COVID-19-induced participants experienced, Likewise, these attributed agency robot reported look forward conversation Summing up, who experience situational be prone accept