Cees Midden
Papers
9
Total Citations
304
H-Index
8
About
Cees Midden is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of social psychology and human-robot interaction, whose work fundamentally explores how artificial agents can influence human behavior—particularly in the context of energy conservation. His key research areas include persuasive technology, psychological reactance to robotic agents, and the social dynamics of human-machine communication. Midden’s major contributions demonstrate that robotic agents can effectively persuade people to change their behavior, but that this process is complicated by psychological reactance—the tendency to resist or oppose perceived threats to freedom. His landmark 2011 paper on reactance and social agency (102 citations) established that people can experience the same resistance to robotic persuaders as they do to human ones. In his highly cited 2009 study (83 citations), Midden showed that social feedback from a robotic agent—especially negative feedback—can significantly reduce energy consumption during household tasks. His work systematically disentangles the effects of speech, physical appearance, and evaluative feedback, revealing that social feedback is more persuasive than factual information alone. Midden’s research has profound implications for designing effective, ethically-considered persuasive technologies that can promote sustainable behavior without triggering counterproductive resistance.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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- 3Does it make a difference who tells you what to do?36 citations · 2009
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- 7A robot that says bad!13 citations · 2009
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