Influence of Social Presence on Acceptance of an Assistive Social Robot and Screen Agent by Elderly Users

Abstract

When using a robot or a screen agent, elderly users might feel more enjoyment if they experience a stronger social presence. In two experiments with a robotic agent and a screen agent (both n = 30) this relationship between these two concepts could be confirmed. In addition, both studies showed that social presence correlates with the Intention to Use the system, although there were some differences between the agents. This implicates that factors that influence social presence are relevant when designing assistive agents for elderly people.