Erik Garrett
Papers
2
Total Citations
285
H-Index
2
About
Erik Garrett is a leading researcher in human-robot interaction, with a particular focus on how children perceive and relate to robotic animals. His work bridges developmental psychology and robotics, exploring the boundaries between the living and the artificial. In his highly influential 2008 study, "Children's behavior toward and understanding of robotic and living dogs" (171 citations), Garrett demonstrated that while children engage socially with both a robotic dog (AIBO) and a live dog, they consistently attribute richer mental states, sociality, and moral standing to the living animal. His earlier foundational paper, "Robots as dogs?" (2005, 114 citations), with 72 participants aged 7 to 15, revealed that children conceptualize a live dog as possessing physical essences and emotional depth that a robot lacks. These findings have shaped debates on robotic ethics, child development, and the design of socially interactive robots. Garrett’s work is essential reading for anyone interested in how emerging technologies challenge our definitions of life, companionship, and moral consideration.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
- 1Children's behavior toward and understanding of robotic and living dogs171 citations · 2008
- 2Robots as dogs?114 citations · 2005