Gendering Human-Robot Interaction: exploring how a person's gender impacts attitudes toward and interaction with robots

Abstract

Developing an improved understanding and awareness of how gender impacts perceptions of robots and interactions with them is crucial for the ongoing advancement of the human-robot interaction (HRI) field, as a lack of awareness of gender issues increases the risk of robot rejection and poor performance. This thesis provides a theoretical grounding for gender-studies in HRI, and contributes to the understanding of how gender affects attitudes toward and interaction with robots via the findings from an on-line survey and a laboratory user study. We envision that this work will provide HRI designers with a foundation and exemplary account of how gender can influence attitudes toward and interaction with robots, serving as a resource and a sensitizing discussion for gender studies in HRI.