Investigating Older Adults’ Trust, Causal Attributions, and Perception of Capabilities in Robots as a Function of Robot Appearance, Task, and Reliability

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the extent to which appearance, task, and reliability of a robot is susceptible to stereotypic thinking. Stereotypes can influence the types of causal attributions that people make about the performance of others. Just as causal attributions may affect an individual’s perception of other people, it may similarly affect perceptions of technology. Stereotypes can also influence perceived capabilities of others. In situations where stereotypes are activated, an individual’s perceived capabilities are typically diminished. The tendency to adjust perceptions of capabilities of others may translate into levels of trust placed in the individual’s abilities. A factorial survey using video vignettes will be utilized to assess young and older adults’ attitudes toward a robot’s behavior and appearance. We hypothesize that a robot’s older appearance will yield lower levels of trust, more dispositional attributions, and lower perceptions of capabilities while high reliability should positively impact trust.