The influence of a peripheral social robot on self-disclosure

Previously, our lab has hypothesized that a peripheral social robot may be able to help uphold the dignity of Parkinson's patients who are stigmatized by their caregivers. The presence of a robotic agent is liable to influence the patient-caregiver relationship. Patient self-disclosure is a key element of a healthy patient-caregiver relationship. This new study examined how the apparent attentiveness of a peripheral robot influences personal disclosure during a scripted interview. The study did not draw from a patient-caregiver population and was conducted as a Wizard of Oz study. The attentiveness of the robot did not make a difference in the interviewees' depth of disclosure. Self-report measures indicated a difference between the attentive robot condition and the other two conditions when participants were asked if they felt like the robot was listening to them.