The Use of Affective Care Robots Calls Forth Value-based Consideration

Care work robotization is socially constructed by several mechanisms, including the law and the codes of ethics shared by occupational groups. Using the dichotomy of effective and affective robots, this study brings novel information to robot acceptance and, particularly, to the values and norms behind care workers’ intentions to use care robots in the future. Data from 407 care workers with care-robot experience were analyzed in regression models. Robots of an effective design were highly accepted by care workers in hospitals and social housing but not as much in home care. Personal values were a significant factor only in the intention to use affective robots, whereas subjective norm had explanatory power regarding affective and effective robots. Thus, as the most consistent result, those respondents who found robot use compatible with the shared norms in their workplaces were more willing to use care robots as a part of their work. Personal values correlated with attitudes toward robots in general, while subjective norm was more strongly and specifically associated with care-robot acceptance. However, considering the maturity of today’s care-robot technology, value-based assessments do not necessarily include anti-technology attitudes but, instead, call for better suiting technology applications.