Co-Design of a Robotic Mental Well-Being Coach to Help University Students Manage Public Speaking Anxiety

Abstract

Public speaking anxiety, one of the most common subtypes of social anxiety, is prevalent among university students and can negatively impact their academic success and mental well-being. Limited access to human coaches and interventions calls for innovative technological solutions, including social robots, to extend and complement mental health support and increase accessibility. This study employs a co-design approach to design a robotic mental well-being coach aimed at assisting university students in managing public speaking anxiety. Collaborative co-design sessions with five mental health professionals were conducted to identify the design-related needs (i.e., robot behaviour and interactions) for developing a robotic coach that can effectively assist students’ public speaking anxiety. In addition, a co-design study involving university students was conducted to gather opinions for further improvements of the robotic coach. Students provided feedback on the developed system and generally found the robot engaging, relaxing, knowledgeable, and beneficial for learning relaxation exercises. The findings provide insights into the development of a robotic coach for supporting university students in managing public speaking anxiety.