scholarly journals Examining joint attention with the use of humanoid robots-A new approach to study fundamental mechanisms of social cognition

2019 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 217-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Chevalier ◽  
Kyveli Kompatsiari ◽  
Francesca Ciardo ◽  
Agnieszka Wykowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Joint Attention ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Applications ◽  
Experimental Control ◽  
Technological Developments

AbstractThis article reviews methods to investigate joint attention and highlights the benefits of new methodological approaches that make use of the most recent technological developments, such as humanoid robots for studying social cognition. After reviewing classical approaches that address joint attention mechanisms with the use of controlled screen-based stimuli, we describe recent accounts that have proposed the need for more natural and interactive experimental protocols. Although the recent approaches allow for more ecological validity, they often face the challenges of experimental control in more natural social interaction protocols. In this context, we propose that the use of humanoid robots in interactive protocols is a particularly promising avenue for targeting the mechanisms of joint attention. Using humanoid robots to interact with humans in naturalistic experimental setups has the advantage of both excellent experimental control and ecological validity. In clinical applications, it offers new techniques for both diagnosis and therapy, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder. The review concludes with indications for future research, in the domains of healthcare applications and human–robot interaction in general.

scholarly journals Examining joint attention with the use of humanoid robots – a new approach to study fundamental mechanisms of social cognition

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pauline Chevalier ◽  
Kyveli Kompatsiari ◽  
Francesca Ciardo ◽  
Agnieszka Wykowska
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Joint Attention ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Healthcare Applications ◽  
Experimental Control ◽  
Technological Developments

This paper reviews methods to investigate joint attention, and highlights the benefits of new methodological approaches that make use of most recent technological developments such as humanoid robots for studying social cognition. After reviewing classical approaches addressing joint attention mechanisms with the use of controlled screen-based stimuli, we describe recent accounts that propose the need for more natural and interactive experimental protocols. Although the recent approaches allow for more ecological validity, they often face the challenges of experimental control in more natural social interaction protocols. In this context, we propose that the use of humanoid robots in interactive protocols is a particularly promising avenue to target the mechanisms of joint attention. Using humanoid robots to interact with humans in naturalistic experimental setups has the advantage of both excellent experimental control and ecological validity. In clinical applications, it offers new techniques for diagnosis and therapy, especially for children with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The review concludes with indications for future research, in the domain of healthcare applications and human-robot interaction in general.

scholarly journals Domo Arigato Mr. Roboto

2016 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
pp. 43-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenny van Doorn ◽  
Martin Mende ◽  
Stephanie M. Noble ◽  
John Hulland ◽  
Amy L. Ostrom ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Social Presence ◽  
Service Providers ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Psychological Ownership ◽  
Service Robots ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Related Factors ◽  
Novel Concept ◽  
The Relationship

Technology is rapidly changing the nature of service, customers’ service frontline experiences, and customers’ relationships with service providers. Based on the prediction that in the marketplace of 2025, technology (e.g., service-providing humanoid robots) will be melded into numerous service experiences, this article spotlights technology’s ability to engage customers on a social level as a critical advancement of technology infusions. Specifically, it introduces the novel concept of automated social presence (ASP; i.e., the extent to which technology makes customers feel the presence of another social entity) to the services literature. The authors develop a typology that highlights different combinations of automated and human social presence in organizational frontlines and indicates literature gaps, thereby emphasizing avenues for future research. Moreover, the article presents a conceptual framework that focuses on (a) how the relationship between ASP and several key service and customer outcomes is mediated by social cognition and perceptions of psychological ownership as well as (b) three customer-related factors that moderate the relationship between ASP and social cognition and psychological ownership (i.e., a customer’s relationship orientation, tendency to anthropomorphize, and technology readiness). Finally, propositions are presented that can be a catalyst for future work to enhance the understanding of how technology infusion, particularly service robots, influences customers’ frontline experiences in the future.

scholarly journals Neuroscientifically-grounded research for improved human-robot interaction

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kyveli Kompatsiari ◽  
Jairo Pérez-Osorio ◽  
Davide De Tommaso ◽  
Giorgio Metta ◽  
Agnieszka Wykowska
Keyword(s):  
Joint Attention ◽  
Cognitive Neuroscience ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Event Related Potentials ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Eeg Signal ◽  
Psychology Research ◽  
Behavioral Measures ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Related Potentials

The present study highlights the benefits of using well-controlled experimental designs, grounded in experimental psychology research and objective neuroscientific methods, for generating progress in human-robot interaction (HRI) research. In this study, we implemented a well-studied paradigm of attentional cueing through gaze (the so-called “joint attention” or “gaze cueing”) in an HRI protocol involving the iCub robot. We replicated the standard phenomenon of joint attention both in terms of behavioral measures and event-related potentials of the EEG signal. Our methodology of combining neuroscience methods with an HRI protocol opens promising avenues both for a better design of robots which are to interact with humans, and also for increasing the ecological validity of research in social and cognitive neuroscience.

scholarly journals In natural interaction with embodied robots, we prefer it when they follow our gaze: a gaze-contingent mobile eyetracking study

2019 ◽  
Vol 374 (1771) ◽  
pp. 20180036 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cesco Willemse ◽  
Agnieszka Wykowska
Keyword(s):  
Joint Attention ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Theme Issue ◽  
Robot Interaction ◽  
Natural Interaction ◽  
The Gaze ◽  
Technological Advances ◽  
Look Back ◽  
The Right

Initiating joint attention by leading someone's gaze is a rewarding experience which facilitates social interaction. Here, we investigate this experience of leading an agent's gaze while applying a more realistic paradigm than traditional screen-based experiments. We used an embodied robot as our main stimulus and recorded participants' eye movements. Participants sat opposite a robot that had either of two ‘identities’—‘Jimmy’ or ‘Dylan’. Participants were asked to look at either of two objects presented on screens to the left and the right of the robot. Jimmy then looked at the same object in 80% of the trials and at the other object in the remaining 20%. For Dylan, this proportion was reversed. Upon fixating on the object of choice, participants were asked to look back at the robot's face. We found that return-to-face saccades were conducted earlier towards Jimmy when he followed the gaze compared with when he did not. For Dylan, there was no such effect. Additional measures indicated that our participants also preferred Jimmy and liked him better. This study demonstrates (a) the potential of technological advances to examine joint attention where ecological validity meets experimental control, and (b) that social reorienting is enhanced when we initiate joint attention. This article is part of the theme issue ‘From social brains to social robots: applying neurocognitive insights to human–robot interaction’.

Use of Humanoid Robots for Students With Intellectual Disabilities

2019 ◽  
pp. 208-228
Author(s):  
Ayşe Tuna ◽  
Emine Ahmetoğlu
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Disabilities ◽  
Situation Awareness ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Physical Activities ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Educational Goals ◽  
Future Research Directions ◽  
Students With Autism ◽  
Students With Intellectual Disabilities

In parallel with the significant developments in robotics, humanoid robots have become popular recently. It is known that when humanoid robots are used for educational goals, students become more interested in learning activities, develop better situation awareness through exercises and physical activities, and learn more effectively. Therefore, humanoid robots will possibly play a key role in education in the future. Since humanoid robots have enhanced social skills, are able to repeat a particular sequence many times, and provide real-time feedback, they can improve the engagement of students with intellectual disabilities and may find significant acceptance in specific target groups, such as students with autism spectrum disorder. In this chapter, the authors investigate the use of humanoid robots for students with intellectual disabilities and review existing approaches in this domain. In addition, limitations and challenges to the use of humanoid robots for educational goals are discussed. Finally, the authors investigate research challenges in this domain and state future research directions.

Peer-Mediated Joint Attention Intervention in the Preschool Classroom

2018 ◽  
Vol 53 (2) ◽  
pp. 96-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sarah G. Hansen ◽  
Tracy J. Raulston ◽  
Wendy Machalicek ◽  
Rebecca Frantz ◽  
Christine Drew ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Joint Attention ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Targeted Interventions ◽  
Social Communication Skills ◽  
Children With Asd ◽  
The Social ◽  
Inclusive Settings ◽  
Age Appropriate ◽  
The Impact

Children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities are at risk of isolation from same-aged peers. Furthermore, research indicates that even in inclusive settings, children with ASD benefit from targeted interventions and support. Among the social communication skills that are frequently absent in children with ASD is joint attention. Joint attention can be defined as shared engagement between two individuals on a third object or event and has been identified as potential pivotal skill for later development of age-appropriate social skills and communication. A growing body of literature documents effective intervention on joint attention skill for young children with ASD; however, few studies document the effects of an intervention mediated by a natural change agent. In the present study, independent concurrent multiple-baseline designs were used to evaluate the impact of a joint attention intervention combined with peer training on the response to joint attention (RJA) behaviors exhibited by seven preschoolers with ASD. Results indicated that RJA behaviors increased overall, the seven peers were able to carry out a simple intervention with fidelity, and that both bids from peers and responses to those bids increased following intervention. Limitations and opportunities for future research are discussed.

scholarly journals Temporal Behavioral Parameters of On-Going Gaze Encounters in a Virtual Environment

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arne Hartz ◽  
Björn Guth ◽  
Mathis Jording ◽  
Kai Vogeley ◽  
Martin Schulte-Rüther
Keyword(s):  
Virtual Environment ◽  
Joint Attention ◽  
Parameter Space ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Human Robot Interaction ◽  
Model Parameters ◽  
Gaze Behavior ◽  
Interacting Agents ◽  
Gaze Interaction ◽  
Behavioral Parameter

To navigate the social world, humans heavily rely on gaze for non-verbal communication as it conveys information in a highly dynamic and complex, yet concise manner: For instance, humans utilize gaze effortlessly to direct and infer the attention of a possible interaction partner. Many traditional paradigms in social gaze research though rely on static ways of assessing gaze interaction, e.g., by using images or prerecorded videos as stimulus material. Emerging gaze contingent paradigms, in which algorithmically controlled virtual characters can respond flexibly to the gaze behavior of humans, provide high ecological validity. Ideally, these are based on models of human behavior which allow for precise, parameterized characterization of behavior, and should include variable interactive settings and different communicative states of the interacting agents. The present study provides a complete definition and empirical description of a behavioral parameter space of human gaze behavior in extended gaze encounters. To this end, we (i) modeled a shared 2D virtual environment on a computer screen in which a human could interact via gaze with an agent and simultaneously presented objects to create instances of joint attention and (ii) determined quantitatively the free model parameters (temporal and probabilistic) of behavior within this environment to provide a first complete, detailed description of the behavioral parameter space governing joint attention. This knowledge is essential to enable the modeling of interacting agents with a high degree of ecological validity, be it for cognitive studies or applications in human-robot interaction.

scholarly journals Robot-Mediated Interventions to Enhance Communication and Social Abilities of Children and Youth with Disabilities: a Review of the Literature

2021 ◽  
Vol 36 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jiyeon Park ◽  
Ye Eun Baek ◽  
Bo Lyeong Lim ◽  
Heeseon Ko
Keyword(s):  
Research Design ◽  
Humanoid Robots ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Future Research ◽  
Single Subject ◽  
Review Of The Literature ◽  
Youth With Disabilities ◽  
Positive Effects ◽  
Social Abilities

Objectives: The current paper presents a review of the literature discussing the trends in research that conducted robot-mediated interventions to enhance communication and social abilities of children and youth with disabilities. Method: Thirty-two dissertation or research articles published after 2000 were selected and divided into thematic categories for analysis, including participants, setting, research method, characteristics of robot-mediated interventions, roles of robots, and the results of studies. Results: First, the research most frequently focused on children and youth with Autism Spectrum Disorders. Second, most of the research was conducted in educational settings. Third, most research used quantitative research design, in particular a single-subject research design method was the most common. Fourth, in most of the research humanoid robots assisted the intervention, acting as an interaction partner of participants and as an instrumental medium to prompt the participants to demonstrate desirable behavior. Finally, most studies reported positive effects of robot-mediated intervention in the communication and social abilities of children and youth with disabilities. Conclusion: The paper provides the outcomes and limitations of robot-mediated interventions for children and youth with disabilities and the implications for future research.

scholarly journals S53. DELINEATING SOCIAL COGNITION IN AUTISM AND PSYCHOSIS

2020 ◽  
Vol 46 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. S53-S53
Author(s):  
Tim Ziermans ◽  
Sophie van Rijn ◽  
Hilde Geurts ◽  
Lieuwe De Haan
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognition ◽  
Cognitive Performance ◽  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Ecological Validity ◽  
Autism Spectrum ◽  
Cognitive Profile ◽  
Self Report ◽  
First Episode ◽  
Relative Contribution ◽  
The Social

Abstract Background Impaired social cognition represents a common feature in both the autism and psychosis spectrum, but direct comparisons are sparse and assessments typically restricted to a few tasks with limited ecological validity. The first aim of the present study was to compare the social cognitive profile of young individuals with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) or a first episode psychosis (FEP) with a group of typical comparisons (TC) on a comprehensive social cognition test battery. The second aim was to explore the relative contribution of autistic and psychotic traits to social cognitive performance across groups. Methods In total 90 young individuals (M = 21.9 y, SD = 3.1 y, range = 16–30 y, 67% male) were recruited. Groups (31 FEP, 21 ASD, 38 TC) were matched for age and sex. Social cognition assessment included measures for static and dynamic emotion recognition & social inference / Theory of Mind, social attention (eye-tacking), empathy and alexithymia. Autistic and psychotic traits were assessed with self-report questionnaires (AQ-28 & SPQ-br). Results Data collection is completed at the time of abstract submission and analyses are expected to be finalized in February 2020. Discussion Pending the outcome of our analyses, we expect our results will provide a more complete and detailed picture of shared and unique aspects in the social cognitive profile of autism and psychosis. In general we hypothesize that both ASD and FEP, on a group-level, will significantly underperform compared to TC, but that the respective trait dimensions will each explain a unique amount of variance in social cognitive performance.

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