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About

Maaike Roubroeks is a pioneering researcher in human-robot interaction, focusing on the psychological dynamics that emerge when artificial social agents attempt to persuade people. Her work centers on understanding psychological reactance—the motivational state people experience when they feel their freedom is threatened—in response to robotic persuasion. Her most cited paper (2011, 102 citations) reveals that social agency in robots can paradoxically increase reactance, causing people to resist or oppose robotic requests. She further demonstrated that threatening robots with incongruent goals amplify this effect (2010, 50 citations), and that the source of a persuasive message—human or machine—significantly impacts compliance (2009, 36 citations). Roubroeks’ contributions are foundational to designing socially acceptable autonomous systems, showing that effective human-robot interaction requires careful calibration of autonomy and social cues. Her work has influenced fields from social robotics to persuasive technology, highlighting the delicate balance between helpful assistance and perceived coercion. By mapping the boundary conditions of robotic influence, she has provided critical insights for developers creating robots that can collaborate without triggering psychological resistance.