The Peculiarities of Robot Embodiment (EmCorp-Scale) : Development, Validation and Initial Test of the Embodiment and Corporeality of Artificial Agents Scale

We propose a new theoretical framework assuming that embodiment effects in HAI and HRI are mediated by users’ perceptions of an artificial entity’s body-related capabilities. To enable the application of our framework to foster more theoretical-driven research, we developed a new self-report measurement that assesses bodily- related perceptions of the embodiment and corporeality - which we reveal as not being a binary characteristic of artificial entities. For the development and validation of the new scale we conducted two surveys and one video-based experiment. Exploratory factor analysis reveal a four-factorial solution with good reliability (Study 2, n = 442), which was confirmed via confirmatory factor analysis (Study 3, n = 260). In addition, we present first insights into the explanatory power of the scale: We reveal that humans’ perceptions of an artificial entity’s capabilities vary between virtual and physical embodiments, and that the evaluation of the artificial counterpart can be explained through the perceived capabilities. Practical applications and future research lines are discussed.