The effects of familiarity and robot gesture on user acceptance of information

Abstract

In this study, we explore how people respond to the gesture of a robot as well as how perception toward a robot changes when familiarity increases. To investigate these objectives, we conducted an experiment over three weeks: firstly, we compared two groups (gesture vs. no gesture) to access how the gesture affects people's acceptance of information; and secondly, we compared three different time points within each condition to examine whether the contact frequency could influence the perception of a robot. The results showed participants in the gesture condition felt greater social interaction, enjoyment, and engagement over the course of three weeks than participants in the no-gesture condition. In addition, the results of longitudinal comparisons showed an interesting pattern (quadratic curve) of changes for enjoyment over three weeks. This study has successfully yielded the positive effects of robot's gestures and the important association between familiarity and perception changes in HRI.