Effect of Embodied Cognition on an Impression of a Robot

Abstract

It is important that participants form a positive impression when they meet with a new robot for the first time. Therefore, we tried to change how participants evaluate a new robot by changing the surrounding environment in the experiment. Embodied Cognition is a theory that our cognition for a target is strongly influenced by physical stimulation of our own bodies. Our research investigated a hypothesis that a soft chair can make favorable impressions of a robot. We performed an experiment using a hard plastic chair and a soft cushioned chair. Although the results did not support the hypothesis, they suggested that the effect of embodied cognition can be different between males and females.