Natnaree Proud Ua-Arak

Papers

Total Citations

H-Index

About

Dr. Natnaree Proud Ua-Arak is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of human-robot interaction and social psychology, whose work explores how robots can leverage complex human social behaviors to enhance group dynamics. Her primary research areas include social robotics, team cohesion, and the ethical design of autonomous systems. In her most-cited study, "The Effects of a Gossiping Robot on Team Cohesion" (2024), she demonstrated that robots programmed to engage in gossip—a behavior traditionally considered uniquely human—can significantly strengthen bonds, trust, and feelings of inclusion within human-robot teams. This groundbreaking work challenges conventional assumptions about machine sociality and offers practical pathways for designing robots that foster more cohesive, trusting collaborative environments. With her research already garnering attention in the emerging field of social robotics, Ua-Arak is recognized for bridging behavioral science and engineering, providing empirical evidence that robots can serve as social catalysts. Her contributions are particularly notable for their potential applications in workplaces, healthcare, and education, where trust and teamwork are paramount. As a rising scholar, she continues to shape how we understand and design for meaningful human-robot relationships.