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The Influence of Culture in Shaping Anthropomorphic Attitudes Towards Robots: A Literature Review

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HCI International 2024 Posters (HCII 2024)

Part of the book series: Communications in Computer and Information Science ((CCIS,volume 2114))

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Abstract

The ongoing evolution of robotic technology reveals a noticeable trend toward endowing robots with human-like traits, seen in their external design and language communication. However, there has been controversy about whether people accept and what factors influence their attitudes toward making robots more human-like. Despite studies emphasizing the impact of cultural backgrounds on attitudes towards robot anthropomorphism, existing research lacks sufficient classification and comparison of these cultural factors. This study, through an in-depth literature review, reveals that cultural factors, such as religious beliefs, popular culture, media exposure, social norms, values, and cognitive patterns, exert a substantial influence on user attitudes towards robot anthropomorphism. This influence varies across geographic regions and national contexts. Non-cultural factors such as technological acceptance, loneliness, and the uncanny valley effect also play a role. This review, crucial for human-robot interaction and cultural integration, proposes distinct cultural perspectives and classifications, offering valuable directions for future research.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH8 9NT, UK

    Geyi Kou

  2. Sungkyunkwan University, 25-2 Seonggyungwan-ro, Jongno-gu, 03063, South Korea

    Shunan Zhang

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  1. Geyi Kou
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  2. Shunan Zhang
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Correspondence to Geyi Kou .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Crete and Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Constantine Stephanidis

  2. Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Margherita Antona

  3. Foundation for Research and Technology - Hellas (FORTH), Heraklion, Crete, Greece

    Stavroula Ntoa

  4. University of Central Florida, Orlando, FL, USA

    Gavriel Salvendy

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Kou, G., Zhang, S. (2024). The Influence of Culture in Shaping Anthropomorphic Attitudes Towards Robots: A Literature Review. In: Stephanidis, C., Antona, M., Ntoa, S., Salvendy, G. (eds) HCI International 2024 Posters. HCII 2024. Communications in Computer and Information Science, vol 2114. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61932-8_41

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-61932-8_41

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