The Effect of Robot's Ice-breaking Humor on Likeability and Future Contact Intentions

Abstract

This study explores the effect of social robot's use of ice-breaking humor on likeability and future contact intentions. Result from a laboratory experiment showed that jokes used at greetings and topic transition were effective in enhancing likeability and reducing awkwardness, while the intention to use the robot for a longer period was not affected by the use of humor. We suggest to include social jokes when designing the first encounter with robot, as long as the jokes do not interfere with task performance. This work may be helpful in deciding whether to insert humor and how to dispose humor in robot's speech.