Using Decision Support Systems for Juries in Court: Comparing the Use of Real and CG Robots

Abstract

In this report, we investigate the factor of social presence of a robot by using an actual robot and comparing it with a CG robot studied in our previous study. A laboratory experiment is conducted using a simple jury decision-making task, where participants play the role of a jury and make decisions regarding the length of the sentence for a particular crime. During the task, a robot with expert knowledge provides suggestions regarding the length of the sentence based on other similar cases. Results show that participants who engaged with an actual robot showed higher conformity with the suggested length of a sentence compared to the participants who engaged with a CG robot presented through a computer monitor. This study shows results that are consistent with those of previous studies in that interacting with physically aware robots is more engaging and also shows its effects on decision-making in a court.