Robotic Others : Two - PowerPoint Presentation

Slide1

Robotic Others: Two way interactivity – one way empathy. Emotional traps and social incorporation of robots

Empirically

guided

reflections

Joachim R.

Hoeflich

University

of

Erfurt, Germany

Slide2

Content – intentions of the presentationWell known fact that we are social beings

Loneliness

as

motivator

to

imagine

life

of

physcial

artefacts

and

for

anthropomorphism

Relationships

with

robots

:

as

a

case

of

social

deprivation

or

as

a

result

of

our

basic

social

and

communicative

orientation

?

Some

casestudies

about

emotion

and

empathy

towards

robots

–

expected

and

unexpected

results

Theoretical

elaboration

:

From

a

dyadic

perspective

to

a

perspective

of

the

third

–

and

the

robot

as

a

robotic

other

From

a

psychological

to

a

social-communicative

perspective

(

the

frame

/

situation

and

the

robot

as

a medium).

Slide3

Basic need for social embeddednessPeople are social ‚animals‘ - social beingsSurvival depends on (

the

quality

of

)

social

relationships

Basic

need

for

supportive

bonds

with

other

people

Basic

social

and

communicative

abilities

Assumed

,

that

an ‚

old

brain

‘ (Reeves/Nass)

is

confronted

with

the

affordances

of

e

new

media

world

.

Slide4

Loneliness (and modern Societies) John T. Cacioppo (2008: 5): „Given the importance of social connection to

our

species

,

then

,

it

is

all

the

more

troubling

that

, at

any

given

time,

roughly

twenty

percent

of

indiviudals

–

that

would

be

sixty

million

people

in

the

U.S.

alone

–

feel

sufficiently

isolated

for

it

to

be

a

major

souce

of

unhappiness

in

their

lives

“

Loneliness

as

a ‚

pain

‘ –

indicated

in

the

same

brain

regions

as

other

pains

with

consequences

even

for

physical

health

shown

for

instance

in

meassurements

of

stress

hormones

, immune

function

,

and

cardiovascular

function

.

Loneliness

as

a

subjective

,

perceptive

phenomenon

Loneliness

as

a

phenomenon

of

modern

societies

–

loneliness

although

living

together

with

many

people

Slide5

U.K. Appoints a Minister for LonelinessJan. 17, 2018LONDON — Since Britain voted to leave

the

European Union

more

than

a

year

ago, Europeans have mockingly said that the decision will result in an isolated, lonely island nation.But Britain, in fact, already has a serious problem with loneliness, research has found. More than nine million people in the country often or always feel lonely, according to a 2017 report published by the Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness.The issue prompted Prime Minister Theresa May on Wednesday to appoint a minister for loneliness.

Slide6

Loneliness and relationshipsBasic topic of Sherry Turkle – „Alone together“„We are increasingsly connected

to

each

other

but

oddly

more alone in intimacy, new solitudes“ (p. 19)People integrate objects into their (symbolic) interactionLonely people are more likely to think inanimate objects are alive (Eply et al. 2008, Powers et al. 2014)Whats about media?

Slide7

Loneliness and Media Already known: Media usage and lonelinessFor instance (in the context of uses

and

gratifications

research

) – Television

use

and chronic loneliness (Perse and Rubin 1990), Loneliness, parasocial interaction, and local television news viewing (Rubin, Perse, Powel 1985).Also for instance in the context of facebook usage: Loneliness and Facebook motives in adolescence: A longitudinal inquiry into directionality of effect (Teppers et al. 2014)Turkle: „The ties we form through the internet are not, in the end, the ties that bind“ (p. 280).

Slide8

Relationships and SubstitutesLoneliness - as a potential condition of relationship substitutesBeyond the lonelyness phenomenon

:

Humans

are

open

for

a

broad

range of relationships (see also Levy 2007)Human-animal relationships – James Serpell (1986): “pet trap“ - to become enmashed and involved emotionally with pets and to lose interest in other people – overestimated: most pats living in familiesObjectophilia – „objectum sexuals“ (Amy Marsh 2010) – relationships, even erotic relationships with objectsHuman and dolls (as example: Oskar Kokoschka, Alma Mahler and the doll) Langcaster-James/Bentley (2018): relationships beyond the sexual – „high prevalence of non-sexual, post-human

companionship dynamics between dolls

and

their

owners

,

as

well

as

reservations

by

doll

owners

about

future

robotic

developments

“

Slide9

Anthropomorphism and humansFaces in the clouds (Stewart Guthrie 1993)Idea: religionis anthropomorhism

Slide10

Anthropomorphism, empathy and robotsRobot made humanlike – with the well know consequences (familiarity/affinity

and

human

likeness

– „

uncanny

valley

“)Athropomorphism: way of relating with a non-human identity – adressing it as if it where human – or a human partner in social interaction/situationRelavant regarding human-robot-interactionRelation between anthropomorphism and empathy towards robots (Riek et al. 2009)

Slide11

For instance: Sorry for Atlas (from Boston Dynamics) after an experimental attack where the robot has fallen over (seen from the

perspective

of

an

observator

)

Slide12

Empathie for human and robot handpain (using electroencephalography – Suzuki et al. 2015)

Slide13

Other examples: Robots wish not to be switched off and seem to have ‚private parts‘After objection

of

robots

–

interactants

are

discouraged from switching off the robot (Horstemann et al. 2018) – empathy towards the robot, that should not left ‚in the dark‘. („Im scared that it will not brighten up again“) – similar: Study of Bartnek/van der Koek (2007): Hesitation to switch of a robot.Anticipation of intimate contacts and embarrasment: „Touching a Meachnical Body: Tactile Contact With Body Parts of a Humanoid Robot is Physiologically Arousing“ (Li/Reeves 2017).

Slide14

On the other hand: Abuse of RobotsChildren abuse of robots.Beside of

couriosity

and

enjoyment

the

researchers presume a certain lack of empathy for the robot – depending partly on the human-likeness of robots (Noruma et al. 2015)Empathic concern: showing empathy when asked to strike a robot (Darling/Nandy, Breazeal 2015)

Slide15

Two way interaction – one way empathyG.H. Mead: Relations to Objects – taking the attitude of an object –

similar

as

the

individual

takes

the attitude of the other: „The ‚me‘ does definitely answer to all the different reactions which the objects about us tend to call out in us“.But - Sherry Turkle (2011: 55): „The first thing missing if you take a robot as a companion is alterity, the ability to see the world through the eyes of another. Without alterity, there can be no empathy.“Human-Robot-Interaction based of

a ‚dyadic model‘Robotic feedback –

as

a

artifical

empathy

Is

it

a

kind

of

interactional

trap

?

Yes

and

no

...

Slide16

Research examplesExploratory studies at the University of Erfurt from an interpersonal perspectiveReproducing the empirical results

of

a

certain

emotional

bondage

But also –

and more relevant for this paper: Indicating the social side of human-robot-interactionIndicating the phenomenon to be inside and outside the frame of human-robot-interaction

Slide17

Research example I: One week with a Babysimulator (RealCare Baby)RealCare Baby® 3 (formerly known as Baby Think It Over® or BTIO®) is the

world’s

most

advanced

infant

simulator. Case studyOne week – to take the ‚baby‘ wherever you are during a weekFamale student - took the ‘baby‘ for instance in lessons at the University or in a caféDiary method and observations in the public

Slide18

Babysimulator: Lilly

Slide19

Feeling of emotional attachmentFindings: Similar to what Sherry Turkle wrote: growing relationshipAt the end of

the

week

: Problem

putting

Lilly in a box

and

sending Lilly back via postal serviceIn the public: demonstrative usage – the object Lilly and demonstrating to be part of a University experiment (indicating status)Including other persons in the relationship with Lilly – for instance her boyfriend, with whom the student lived together

Slide20

Research example II: Eplorative study - One week with the robot Alpha 1

Slide21

Task and MethodTeach the robot as much as possibleWrite a report (diary) Interest in successes, interaction, satisfactionN=34

Method

:

Self-observation, self-perception, self-experiments or (lat.) introspection

21

Slide22

Some resultsIn most cases an emotional relationship developedGiving the robot

a

name

– Darling et al.: “

Entities

that

are

given personified names... elict more empathy than unassociated objects.“Speech readiness: Tendency to talk to the robot although the robot had no language recognitionThe higher the integration into everyday life, the bigger is the pain of separation.Empathic relation: Dysfuntions of the robot – feeling of compassion (as if the robot has pain)

22

Slide23

Relationshipdimensions23

I treated him like a baby.

I was frightened.

I handled him with care.

I was ashamed of him.

It reminded me a bit of an animal-human-relationship.

I was happy to turn him of

f.

Slide24

Frustration/Fear24

He cannot walk.

I’m totally overstrained and my boyfriend is desperate.

The battery is always empty.

I was afraid that he switched himself on automatically and acts beyond our control.

We felt very uncomfortable in the presence of the robot.

Slide25

‚Outward orientation – leaving the human-robot-interaction frameMalfunctions: Seeking external help from others

or

via Internet (

looking

for

usage

instruction, youtube advices)The bigger the frustration, the more external help was sought.

Slide26

Including others – indicating the social dimenstion of human-robot-interactionAs an aspect of domestication (social

incorporation

): Robot

as

a

part

of

the domestic sphereDemonstration what the robots has learned (for instance students visiting their families introduced and demonstrated the robot)As a aspect of fear – it is better to be together with others instead of beeing alone with the robot (also: robot for instance not in the bedroom)Social distinction (als already mentioned: object of University research)Talk about the robot

as a basis for conversationPublic

desplay

of

a

new

kind

relationship

Slide27

Research example III: From inclusion to exclusion –Experiments with a robotCase study: Experiments with a robots (Robosapien

)

Constellation

:

two

students

and

one robotTask: Take the usage instruction and teach the robot how to solve certain tasks (throwing a ball, slalom between bottles, let him dance and others).

Slide28

AR

B

Slide29

Human (A)-Human (B)-Robot-Interaction(based on Yanco/Drury 2002)

Slide30

Some resultsHuman-robot-interaction constitutes a distinctive frame (Goffman)Robot as part of the

triad

(A-B-R)

Aspect

of

integrating

the robot Giving it a name (see before)In the case of malfunction: externalisation/exclusion: The relation to the robot changed – from a kind of communication partner to an exernal object (re-objectification)No interaction/communicative reference with the robot – not to talk with but to talk about the robot (from inside to outside the frame)

Slide31

From a dyadic to a triadic modelRobot as ‚robotic other‘The robotic other, that is

socially

embedded

: i.e. „

it

imbeds

robotics within a framework that is fundamentally engaged in the human-other relationship“ (Kahn et al. 2004: 546)Interactional approach beyond the dyadOtherness in the context of a triadic relation (see Georg Simmel)From a psychological to a sociological perspective (as a basic aspect of the research I mentioned)Fruitfulness of the idea: Research of Fortunati et al. (2018).

Slide32

Social dimension: making relations publicPublic display of connection – „Simply appearing in public with one’s

acquaintances

is

a

display

of connection „ (J Donath / b boyd: 2004)Lars and the Real Girl (from 2007) Oscar nominated 2008

Slide33

Social incorporationStudies indicate the meaning of the social embeddedness of robotsSocial incorporation

makes

a

robot

a

social

robot

With the consequences of incorporation/inclusion and exclusionTo observe the human-robot-interaction – Learning from others: Ripple effects of an embedded social agent (for instance: a snack delivery robot in the workplace; Lee et al. 2012).Empathy from the perspective of a third observer (Breithaupt 2012) – for instance: observing how Atlas is going to be attacked

Slide34

From the image to a interaction phenomenonAnthropmorphising – as a tool for interaction – not a description

of

the

world

(Damiano/

Dumouchel

2018) – imaginary dialogue with an entityAnthropomorphising as a interactive phenomenon (Airenti 2018)Humans anthropomorphise robots although they know that they have no mental lifeDepending on the frame: the robot may be anthropomorphised or treated as a object

Slide35

Inside and outside of the frameRobot as a third that oscilates between a robot as a third

object

and

a

third

person

(outside-inside

frame)In situ versus outside the frame (we know that a robot is a robot – but act as if it is human)Media phenonmenon: Beeing inside the media (usage) will make you forget that you use a medium – being outside opens room for reflection

Slide36

Awareness of the ‚robotness‘ When outside the frameFrom anthropomorphising to a critical anthropomorphism (Burghardt 2007)In this

sense: not

simply

a

cheating

technology

Kind

of

solution of the problem Halpern and Katz (2013) mentioned: ...surprisingly, recognition of human-like characteristics does not necessarily lead to more favorable view of having robots involved in various roles“ – situational closeness does not necessarily lead to emotional involement beyond the situation.

Slide37

Robots as our friends?Point of view: Interpersonal perspective and human openness for relationships

Social

moment

–

social

construction

of a robot as companion – acceptance and denialChance to reflect to be inside a robot-frame – and to get out of itOtherwise: Lost in a robot-frame

Slide38

I thank you for your attention!