Communications of the ACM
Could Robots Be Counselors? Early Research Shows Positive ser Experience
A University of Plymouth study found that a social robot can deliver a helpful and enjoyable motivational interview.
Credit: cloudfront.net
Researchers at the University of Plymouth in the U.K. have demonstrated that a humanoid social robot can deliver a positive motivational interview, encouraging participants who want to be more physically active to voice their goals and challenges.
The researchers programmed a NAO robot with a script designed to provoke ideas and dialogue on how someone could accomplish their objectives.
Plymouth professor Jackie Andrade believes that because robots are viewed as non-judgmental, they offer greater benefit than more humanoid avatars for delivering virtual support for behavioral alterations.
"Concern about being judged by a human interviewer came across strongly in praise for the non-judgmental nature of the robot, suggesting that robots may be particularly helpful for eliciting talk about sensitive issues," she notes. "The next stage is to undertake a quantitative study, where we can measure whether participants felt that the intervention actually increased their activity levels."
From University of Plymouth (United Kingdom)
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