The similarity-attraction effect in human-robot interaction

Constructing valid robotic models of social development requires that we accurately characterize the social learning and interaction that can take place between a robotic agent and a human adult. To that end, this study examined the effect of perceived attitudinal similarity on human-robot interaction. 28 participants rated toys by order of preference and then interacted with a small, socially-expressive robot to determine the robot's preferences for the same toys. The robot displayed either the same preferences as the participant or exactly the opposite preferences. Participants in the Similar-Preferences condition rated the robot as significantly friendlier than did participants in the Dissimilar-Preferences condition. However, there was no difference between conditions in how participants rated their enjoyment of the interaction. These findings have interesting implications for human-robot interaction studies in general, and for work in robotic models of developmental social cognition specifically.