Security Robot Power and Acceptance: Exploring French and Raven's Five Forms of Power

The increasing deployment of robots in authority roles, such as security, necessitates understanding public acceptance of robot-exercised power. This study investigated the relationship between perceived power bases (expert, legitimate, referent, reward, coercive) and public acceptance of security robots. One hundred participants viewed videos depicting robot- citizen interactions. Results revealed positive correlations between perceived expert and legitimate power and acceptance and a negative correlation between perceived coercive power and acceptance; reward power showed no significant relationship. These findings contribute to the human-robot interaction (HRI) literature by demonstrating the influence of perceived power on public acceptance and offering design guidelines for enhancing the acceptance of security robots by emphasizing expertise and legitimate authority while minimizing coercive tactics.